Prompt: Please  briefly describe those global transformations from the late 1970s  through the 1980s that had a direct impact on the Cold War and explain  in detail and depth how and why they contributed to its demise.

A clue: One major  change took place in the Soviet Union and China, where both countries  began to reform their economies, moving away from the planned model  toward a market-oriented model. In the Soviet Union, Gorbachev even  moved to democratize the government through political reform. You should  also consider the U.S. factor. Still, you can discuss how the general  global trend toward market capitalism and democracy influenced the Cold  War. 

A reminder: Things are  often complex and cannot be understood in simple black-and-white  terms. You should try to give a historically informed, ideologically  unbiased, and logically coherent answer. The historical context cannot  be overemphasized. It is easy to dwell on generalities out of context.  It is also easy to see things from one’s own ideological perspective and  rush to condemn alternative ideologies without trying to understand  them. You can always disagree but should show respect. It is more  important to help contribute to a greater understanding of different  systems, which all had their historical, cultural, economic, and  political rationales. Finally, it is easier to speak coherently, but a  lot more difficult to write coherently. Make sure that you move  logically from sentence to sentence and consistently from paragraph to  paragraph. Do not deviate from your focus. Whatever you write should be  directly relevant to the prompt. There is no need for long background  introduction.