23.3 The End of the Cold War

Reagan Challenges Communism Reagan:  U.S. needed to weaken communism after its 1970s resurgence  Policies to do so:  New nuclear systems  Covert operations  Increased military spending

Reagan Builds Up the U.S. Military Put billions of dollars into new nuclear missiles  Believed the S.U. couldn’t afford to do this  Protests from liberals who favored the decrease in international nukes Funded SDI – Strategic Defense Initiative  Program w/land + space-based lasers that would destroy nukes pointed at the U.S.  Some called it “Star Wars” b/c unrealistic

Taking on the “Evil Empire” Reagan approved a 40% increase in defense spending from 1981 to “Peace Through Strength” (Deterrence)

Reagan Aids Anticommunists Afghanistan  1973 – communists seize Afghanistan  Mujahideen form  Peasants who feared the anti-religious message of communism  U.S. trained the anticommunist mujahideen to drive the Soviets out  Drove them out by 1988

Afghanistan and Reagan Afghan War spending, + new US arms race = Soviet economic disaster.  Social programs cut in S.U.  Soviets can’t buy bread and guns at the same time… Soviet Bread Line

Gorbachev Pursues Reform Mikhail Gorbachev became President of S.U. in 1985 Established two new policies b/c the Soviet economy was in shambles  Glasnost: “a new openness” socially  Perestroika: reforming the Soviet system  Move away from socialist/state controlled economy Huge food shortages + Gorbachev realized he couldn’t compete w/ U.S. militarily

The Two Leaders Meet A moderate, Mikhail Gorbachev, was someone Reagan could work with. Met 4 times b/w 1985 and 1989  Called Summits  “Evil empire” era over START I Treaty signed  Reduce # of nukes worldwide June 12, 1987  “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall!” – Pres. Reagan

The Cold War Ends The end of an era…  “Leading to a new world of reconciliation, friendship, and peace.”

Fall of the Berlin Wall November 11, 1989  Following the fall of the gov’t in East Germany  Mass demonstrations  Ppl escaping thru Hungary into Austria and around Symbolized the end of communism in Europe

Communism Ends in Eastern Europe Communism fell in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, + Romania in 1898  Fell in Albania in 1990  Fell in Yugoslavia in 1991 FREEDOM!

The Soviet Union Breaks Apart August 1991  Hard-liners in S.U. attempt a coup to maintain communism in the country BUT  Millions of Russians led by Boris Yeltsin rallied in the streets in support of Gorbachev  Coup fell apart + so did the Soviet Communist Party

What caused the Soviet Union to Breaks Apart? Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost + perestroika  Led to rebellions against the S.U.  Challenged the Soviet socialist economy Reagan’s economic pressure on the S.U.  Forced Gorbachev to make these policies in response to economic collapse in the S.U. THE COLD WAR IS OVER!  BUT…

Trouble Persists in the Middle East Lebanon Libya Iran-Contra Affair

1982’s War in Lebanon Civil War in Lebanon threatened regional peace & security US sent in troops as peacekeepers with multi- national force

The Bombing in Beirut Americans are killed by suicide bombers in Marine Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon.  Hezbollah (backed by Iran) claims responsibility  Seen as early Islamic terrorist attack U.S. leaves

Libya Libya led by Muammar al-Qaddafi  Supported terrorist groups US & Libya disputes in international waters  Libyans attack US Navy  Al-Qaddafi contracts for W Berlin night club bombing. April 86, US bombs Libya Dec. 88, Pan-Am Flight 803 blown up over Scotland.  Linked back to Libya.

Iran-Contra Affair  Reagan alleged to have secretly & illegally sold weapons to Iran  Did so to get Iranian aid in pressuring Lebanon terrorists to release US hostages  Used this $ to fund the anti- Sandinista Nicaraguan rebels (aka the Contras)  Oliver North took the fall, but many blame Reagan.