Cold War History The End of the Cold War

Impact of Helsinki Summit The so-called third basket of the Helsinki Accords (signed 1975), had put the issue of human rights on the political agenda Time bomb in relations between the socialist bloc and the West U.S. president Carter recognized the political advantage to be had from the human rights issue – pressure on the Soviet Union e.g. Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia, Solidarnosc in Poland

U.S. Presidential election 1980

Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy strategy of “peace through strength” Reagan called for massive increases in the defence budget to expand and modernize the military and urged a more aggressive approach to combating Communism “special relationship” between U.S. and UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN3z3eSVG7A

Gorbachev and Transformation of the Soviet Union In 1985 Gorbachov (54 years) became a new leader of the Soviet Union He introduced two new concepts to his policy 1) perestroika (reconstruction) 2) glasnost (openness) efforts to modernize the Communist system Problems of Soviet economy

Gorbachev set about reform with real energy Gorbachev’s reform was radical, but not revolutionary. He wanted to bring a breath of fresh air to the existing system, not replace it with a new one. Gorbachev’s election marked a new beginning – beginning of the end for both the Cold War and the Soviet Union

U.S.-Soviet Relations Reagan’s militant anticommunism contributed to a worsening of relations with the Soviet Union in the first years of his presidency In 1983 Reagan delivered a speech in Florida - he denounced the Soviet Union as “an evil empire” The Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), dubbed “Star Wars” The U.S. - Soviet relations improved considerably during Reagan’s second term Chernenko died in March 1985, and Mikhail Gorbachev assumed the leadership of the party

Geneva and Reykjavik Talks Gorbachev knew that no social change was possible without ending the arms race with the West In November 1985 he met with R. Reagan in Geneva The two leaders agreed that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf99T8LYhPE

Reagan and Gorbachev met again in October 1986 in Reykjavik (Iceland) The two leaders agreed on the “zero option” for intermediate-range missiles in Europe: complete withdrawal (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union was signed in Washington in December 1987) The agreement about elimination off all strategic nuclear weapons in the ten-year period collapsed at the last minute

Seeds of Change In 1987 Reagan said in Berlin: "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Gorbachev’s speech at the United Nations in December 1988 was the catalyst for events in Eastern Europe in 1989 He declared “freedom of choice” for all nations. Sent a signal, that Moscow would not again order its tanks and soldiers into Eastern European cities to crush the people’s will Moreover, Gorbachev promised huge unilateral soviet troop withdrawal from Eastern Europe

The demolition of the Berlin wall took place on 9 November 1989 George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) entered the White House at a period of change in the world The demolition of the Berlin wall took place on 9 November 1989 When Bush asked about nuclear war in December 1989 Gorbachev responded: „I assured the President of the United States that the Soviet Union would never start a hot war against the United States of America. And we would like our relations to develop in such a way that they would open greater possibilities for cooperation.... This is just the beginning. We are just at the very beginning of our road, long road to a long-lasting, peaceful period”

Different Theories about the End of the Cold War Triumphalism” is one school of thought in analyzing the end of the Cold War. Triumphalism comes in two main versions 1) First stresses the particular contributions of the Reagan administration 2) Second moderate version of triumphalism sees the end of the Cold War as reflecting not primarily the policies of the Reagan administration, but rather the general containment policy pursued by all American presidents from Truman to Reagan

Others insist on the primary role of Gorbachev while also giving Reagan his due (This attitude is reflected in the studies by Melvyn Leffler, Vladislav Zubok and Andrei Grachev) Another group (Archie Brown, Jacques Lévessque) gives virtually all the credit for the end of the Cold War to Gorbachev many Western Europeans but also some other scholars emphasize different European contributions to the end of the Cold War of France’s policies from de Gaulle to Mitterand or German Ostpolitik present account is critical of triumphalism Need to move beyond the endless fascination with individuals and try to relate the end of the Cold War to much deeper national and international structures