Summits between USA and USSR

including Geneva, Reykjavik, Washington and Moscow; Reagan; star wars; Bush and the US response

Geneva Summit, Nov 1985

Reagan and Gorbachev

* Gorbachev offered 50% cut in return for ending SDI


* no significant agreements (due to disagreement over SDI) but agreed to meet again

**= started process of thawing tensions and eventual signing of INF Treaty 1987**

Reykjavik Summit, Oct 1986

Reagan and Gorbachev

* Gorbachev proposed elimination of all nuclear weapons within 10 years (zero-zero option)
* no agreement due to Reagan’s refusal to abandon SDI

**= showed effort in reduction of arms**

Washington Summit, Dec 1987

Reagan and Gorbachev

* **Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed**
* ended use of cruise missiles and IBMs and set a deadline in 1991 for them to decommissioned
* Gorbachev dropped demands over SDI for this
* started START negotiations
* Gorbachev announced withdrawal from Afghanistan shortly after

Moscow Summit, May-June 1988

Reagan and Gorbachev (Reagan’s last summit)

* **intended to discuss START but instead discussed cultural exchanges and human rights**
* agreed to trade and technological links
* disagreed over SDI again

Reagan said he no longer viewed Soviet Union as an ‘evil empire’, claiming that was ‘another time, another era’ to reporters outside Kremlin

Malta Summit, Dec 1989

Bush and Gorbachev, **whilst communist regimes across Eastern Europe were falling!** (Berlin Wall fell 3 weeks before)

* discussed USA/USSR intervention in Europe, potential reunification of Germany


* Gorbachev stated he will not use force in eastern Europe
* US gave assurances that it won’t intervene

**= effectively ended the Cold War**

Washington Summit, May-June 1990

Bush and Gorbachev

* further discussion of START

Conventional Armed Forces Treaty, Nov 1990

signed by NATO and Warsaw Pact, agreement on military balance

* **led to reduction of weapons based in Europe**

START I, July 1991

31 July 1991

**reduced strategic warheads by 25-35%**

When did Bush come into power?

1989-93

Bush’s view on Gorbachev (how did this differ from the Gorbachev Reagan bromance?)

originally unconvinced that Gorbachev had genuinely altered direction of Soviet policy

wary and cautious of speed of change

Gorbachev’s UN address, 7 Dec 1988

**effectively renounced Brezhnev Doctrine**

* announced unilateral cuts in Soviet forces of 500 000 soldiers and withdrawal of tanks and troops from eastern Europe

Issues with diplomacy in 1986

**focus on significant domestic issues slowed down diplomacy**

* US: Iran Contra affair
* USSR: Chernobyl, oil prices collapsing