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Some key questions to consider:
- Were the economic troubles in communist countries caused by the communist system itself, or not?
- Afghanistan was taken over by a pro-communist party called the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) which had several factions and which was strongly anti-religious. There was a rise in Islamic fundamentalism especially after the government in neighbouring Iran was overthrown by a fundamentalist Islamic group under Ayatollah Khomeini. The Mujahideen were an Islamist group and were supported by the CIA. Did American interference increase the problem America faces today with Islamic extremists? Did USSR support for the PDPA play a role in the breaking away of strongly Islamic republics in the USSR like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan?
- Did President Reagan’s very aggressive and warlike policies help to end the Cold War sooner or did they delay the end of the Cold War?
- How did the end of the Cold War change conditions in the world?