In the given question, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason. Mark the correct answer.

Assertion: During the Cold War, it was beneficial for the superpowers to have the smaller states as their allies.

Reason: The loyalty of allies suggested that the superpowers were winning the war of ideas as well, that liberal democracy and capitalism were better than socialism and communism, or vice versa.

Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct and the Reason is the correct explanation of the Assertion.

One may ask why the superpowers needed any allies at all. After all, with their nuclear weapons and regular armies, they were so powerful that the combined power of most of the smaller states in Asia and Africa, and even in Europe, was no match to that of the superpowers. Yet, the smaller states were helpful for the superpowers in gaining access to (i) vital resources, such as oil and minerals, (ii) territory, from where the superpowers could launch their weapons and troops, (iii) locations from where they could spy on each other, and (iv) economic support, in that many small allies together could help pay for military expenses.

They were also important for ideological reasons. The loyalty of allies suggested that the superpowers were winning the war of ideas as well, that liberal democracy and capitalism were better than socialism and communism, or vice versa.