Topic 8.8 LEQ Practice
Completion requirements
Opened: Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 10:00 AM
Prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which internal factors were more significant than external factors in causing the end of the Cold War.
Student Task
Write a full LEQ essay that includes:
- A clear, historically defensible thesis
- Contextualization (broader Cold War background)
- Specific evidence (at least 4–5 pieces)
- Analysis of:
- internal factors (economic weakness, reforms, public discontent)
- external factors (U.S. pressure, Afghanistan war)
- Reasoning (causation and comparison of significance)
- A complex understanding (nuanced argument or qualification)