Late Cold War Quotes and Stats

Gorbachev on Glasnost and Perestrokia

“one could describe Glasnost metaphorically as the air above and Perestroika as the ground below.”

Gorbachev closing stament

“The promise I gave to the people when I started Perestroika was kept, I gave them freedom.”

Soviet GNP decline

Due to a lack of innovation, reduced efficiency, and chronic shortages. Resulted in Soviet GNP growth falling from approximately 4% in the 1970s, to only 1% between 1979-1980.

Soviet Historian Quote

Soviet Historian Vladimir Bukovsky, “a steady decline of Soviet economy had finally brought the country to bankruptcy, making it impossible to maintain communism in Europe

Oil Prices

Fell in 1986 from US $27.50 a barrel to US $11 a barrel.

During Brezhnev

Military spending grew 3-4%(continued under Gorbachev) between 1986-88 with major reductions only beginning in 1989

Polish Foreign Debt

rose from $39.2 billion in 1987 to $40.2 billion in 1989

Reagan

Came to power in 1981, called the Soviet Union a ‘evil empire,’ launched SDI in 1983

Geneva Summit

1985, both leaders agreed on the sentiment that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought.”

Reykjavik Summit

1986, Reagan refused to give up SDI, still resulted in improved relations between the pair

Washington Summit

1987, Signed the Intermediate range nuclear forces treaty (INF), eliminating an entire class of American and Soviet missiles, by 1990 1400 missiles had be destroyed