THE SECOND COLD WAR.

A period of bad feeling and deadlock that replaced Détente. The USA led by Ronald Reagan who disliked the USSR. The USSR led by a succession of ill old men. America builds up it’s power after the set back of Vietnam. The USSR exhausted by Afghanistan and it’s Empire increasingly restive is going broke.

1980 Ronald Reagan becomes President Zero Option (everyone withdraws nuclear weapons from Europe) offered and refused 1982 Soviets stamp on the Solidarity movement in Poland 1982 Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) begin and are deadlocked Death of Brezhnev – replaced by Andropov 1982 Tomahawk nuclear cruise missiles in Western Europe 1983 Invasion of Grenada by the USA Death of Andropov – replaced by Chernenko 1985 Death of Chernenko replaced by Gorbachov Chernobyl – the evidence that things could not go on.

A new man on the scene who saw that things could not go on and who reached out to the West. He will cut military expenditure in return for aid and technology Reagan changes – he wants to get rid of weapons too and helps Gorbachov along the path to reform.

Perestroika - economic restructuring to a free market Glasnost - ‘openness’, both within the Soviet Union and also with the West. Free press and criticism of the government.

THE TALKS 1985 Geneva. A good working relationship Reykjavik and discussed removing Intermediate Range Missiles. Nothing was decided The Intermediate –Range nuclear Force (INF) Treaty. All missiles with a range between 310 and 3400 miles were given up. Further talks were held to discuss reductions in conventional forces before agreement the Eastern Bloc disintegrated and Gorbachov did nothing to stop it.

The end game 1988 Soviet troops were withdrawn from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia 1989 Communist rule collapsed in Poland and Lech Walesa becomes President 1989 Hungary and east Germany opened its borders with Austria. 9 th November Berlin Wall was torn down. November 1989 the Communist governments of East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria all resigned. December 1989 Nicolai Ceausescu, the Romanian dictator was overthrown and shot. December 1989 Malta conference Gorbachev and George Bush declare that the Cold War was over The Warsaw Pact is dissolved

1988 Soviet troops were withdrawn from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia 1989 Communist rule collapsed in Poland and Lech Walesa becomes President 1989 Hungary and east Germany open borders with Austria. 9 th November Berlin Wall was torn down. November 1989 the Communist governments of East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria all resigned. December 1989 Nicolai Ceausescu, the Romanian dictator was overthrown and shot. December 1989 Malta conference Gorbachev and George Bush declare that the Cold War was over The Warsaw Pact is dissolved

1. THE WEST HAS WON THE COLD WAR 2. IT IS ALL OVER WITH VERY LITTLE BLOODSHED. 3. GORBACHOV – A HERO IN THE WEST 4. IN THE USSR NOT SO GREAT On his watch the USSR had gone from a superpower to a basket case He faced a coup in 1991 By December 1991 much of the USSR – Estonia Ukraine Kazakhstan etc had become independent What was left was called Russia