Free AP US History Tests
APUSH Short Answer Question Example 4
After answering question 4 from our APUSH Short Answer Questions, scroll down to read a sample response. Our APUSH SAQ example will show you exactly what a great answer looks like. We have also included a detailed explanation of the scoring.
4. Respond to parts a, b, and c.
a. Briefly describe one way in which United States policy toward the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1949 contributed to the Cold War between the two nations.
b. Briefly describe one similarity or one difference between the United States’ response and the Soviet Union’s response to Cold War events from 1950 to 1979.
c. Briefly describe one similarity or one difference between the United States’ response and the Soviet Union’s response to Cold War events from 1980 to 1991.
Sample Perfect Answer
a. After World War II, the Truman Doctrine was established for the United States to provide economic aid to Greece and Turkey to help them resist communism. The Marshall Plan was implemented for the United States to provide economic aid to Europe for rebuilding after World War II, encouraging the development of democratic governments and opposing communism. The United States joined NATO to form a collective security agreement with other democratic nations from Western Europe, which the Soviet Union perceived as a threat.
b. The United States responded to the Soviet Union with containment and collective security. The United States gained support from the United Nations to use military action to contain the spread of communism into South Korea by fighting against North Korea, which was being aided by the Soviet Union in the Korean War. Again in the Vietnam War, the United States used direct military action to contain the spread of communism into South Korea by fighting against North Vietnam, which was also being aided by the Soviet Union.
c. In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected President and championed a large increase in military spending on nuclear and conventional weapons. Reagan also touted the U.S. development of the Strategic Defense Initiative, which aimed to be able to shoot down incoming nuclear missiles and protect the U.S. from Soviet attacks. This approach was similar to the early brinkmanship and Mutually Assured Destruction of the early Cold War, but had moved away from Nixon’s policy of détente toward the Soviet Union with more aggressive rhetoric.
How SAQ Example 4 Earns a Perfect Score
The sample response effectively earns all three points. In part (a), it explains how U.S. policies such as the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO contributed to the Cold War by opposing communism and strengthening Western Europe, which the Soviet Union saw as a threat. This clear and historically accurate explanation earns 1 point.
In part (b), the response highlights how the U.S. pursued containment through military intervention in both Korea and Vietnam, where it fought against Soviet-backed forces. This demonstrates a clear pattern of U.S. Cold War strategy and the ways in which it contrasts with the Soviet Union’s role in aiding communist movements, earning 1 point.
In part (c), the response explains how Reagan’s policies in the 1980s, such as increased military spending and the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), mirrored earlier Cold War brinkmanship and Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) but moved away from détente. This effectively compares U.S. and Soviet strategies in the final Cold War years, earning 1 point.
Overall, the response earns a perfect 3/3 score by providing precise historical examples and clear cause-and-effect explanations.