Lesson 3

3 The collapse of Soviet control of Eastern Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 12

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3, The collapse of Soviet control of Eastern: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 12: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which Soviet leader's 'new thinking' is named in the spec?

    • Gorbachev
    • Stalin
    • Brezhnev
    • Khrushchev

  2. Which 1989 event symbolised the collapse of Soviet control in Eastern Europe?

    • Prague Spring
    • Hungarian Uprising
    • Fall of Berlin Wall
    • Cuban Missile Crisis

  3. Which alliance is named in the spec as coming to an end after the Soviet Union collapsed?

    • Comecon
    • NATO
    • The Warsaw Pact
    • Cominform

  4. Which dates are given in the spec's collapse section?

    • 1970 to 1975
    • 1948 to 1949
    • 1985 to 1991
    • 1961 to 1963

  5. What was the name of Gorbachev's policy that loosened Soviet grip on Eastern Europe?

    • Iron rule
    • New thinking
    • Cominform control
    • Brezhnev Doctrine

  6. Which group of countries is named in the spec as having its Soviet grip loosened?

    • East Asia
    • Eastern Europe
    • South America
    • Western Europe

  7. Which historical crisis is completely unrelated to Gorbachev's 1980s reforms?

    • New Thinking
    • Berlin Blockade
    • Sinatra Doctrine
    • Falling living standards

  8. Which UK GCSE History key topic covers the end of the Cold War from 1970 to 1991?

    • Key Topic 1
    • Key Topic 4
    • Key Topic 3
    • Key Topic 2

  9. What major 1989 symbol of division collapsed, aiding the end of Soviet control?

    • Warsaw Pact
    • Iron Curtain
    • Berlin Wall
    • Comecon

  10. What major Cold War alliance ended alongside the collapse of the Soviet Union?

    • European Union
    • NATO
    • Warsaw Pact
    • COMECON

  11. Which symbolic barrier fell in 1989 marking the collapse of Soviet control in Europe?

    • Ural Barrier
    • Berlin Wall
    • Iron Curtain
    • Maginot Line

  12. Whose 'new thinking' policy led to the loosening of Soviet grip on Eastern Europe?

    • Brezhnev
    • Khrushchev
    • Gorbachev
    • Stalin

  13. Which military alliance was dissolved in 1991 following the weakening of the USSR?

    • Warsaw League
    • Warsaw Pact
    • COMECON Pact
    • Soviet Accord

  14. Between which years did Soviet control of Eastern Europe collapse?

    • 1991 to 1995
    • 1985 to 1991
    • 1961 to 1989
    • 1945 to 1950

  15. Which US president worked with Gorbachev to significantly reduce Cold War tensions?

    • Richard Nixon
    • Ronald Reagan
    • John F Kennedy
    • Harry Truman

  16. What was the main impact of Gorbachev's new thinking on Eastern Europe?

    • Economic isolationism
    • Loosened Soviet control
    • Increased military presence
    • Stricter communist rule

  17. What major event brought about the final end of the Warsaw Pact?

    • Prague Spring
    • Cuban Missile Crisis
    • Soviet Union collapse
    • Hungarian Uprising

  18. Besides the Berlin Wall, what policy shift drove the Soviet collapse?

    • Marshall Plan aid
    • Truman Doctrine
    • Gorbachev's new thinking
    • Stalinist purges

  19. Which Soviet leader introduced the political reforms that prompted Eastern Europe's collapse?

    • Vladimir Lenin
    • Mikhail Gorbachev
    • Leonid Brezhnev
    • Nikita Khrushchev

  20. The end of which pact is closely linked to the collapse of Soviet control in Eastern Europe?

    • Brussels Pact
    • SEATO Pact
    • Warsaw Pact
    • Baghdad Pact

All Pearson Edexcel History quizzes