Reagan & Bush

how was Reagan in the early stages of his presidency?

very anti-communist, fearful of the alarming build-up of Soviet arms in the 1970s, the renewal of the Cold War and the potential for nuclear warfare.

Reagan sought a means of…

eliminating the threat posed by nuclear weapons

when was SDI development launched?

March 1983

what was the purpose of SDI

a defence system that could protect the USA against ICMBs by destroying nuclear weapons in space before they reached their targets

how much did Reagan spend on SDI

$30 billion

The SDI would also act as an incentive for the USSR to…

reduce its nuclear stocks of ICBMs

although it was never developed Soviet leadership feared American possession of SDI as…

it would give America the nuclear monopoly

SDI was a recurring…

issue at the Summits between Regan & Gorbachev

Some critics of SDI within the US thought that…

the technology would be impossible to build

what was the impact of the SDI on the Soviets?

continued to heavily fund their nuclear weapons programmes to remain competitive & deter the West from taking action

What problems did SDI cause for Gorbachev economically & politically?

Gorbachev could not continue this heavy funding caused by the SDI and had to justify dropping it as an issue in negotiations to communist hardliners who considered it a threat to Soviet security making it fundamental in the internal collapse of the USSR.

what was Europe’s reaction to the SDI programme?

France & Britain were skeptical of the SDI programme - they did not see it as a real threat but understood it could exacerbate the Cold War. NATO leaders supported its development which further alarmed communist hardliners.

who is George Bush?

US president from 1989-1993. Prior to this he served as US ambassador to the US, chief liaison to the People’s Republic of China, director of the CIA & vice president under Reagan. During his term communism collapsed in Eastern Europe and the USSR collapsed.

Bush realised that if good US-Soviet relations were to continue…

Gorbachev needed to remain in power & strong in the USSR so the US could not do anything to undermine the stability of Gorbachev as Soviet leader

how did Bush not undermine Gorbachev?

when Bush visited Poland & Hungary in July 1989 he kept his speeches friendly and non-antagonistic.

Bush’s focus was on …

international stability & he saw Gorbachev’s leadership as the most effective way to preserve such.

what did US advisors warn Bush about?

that despite Gorbachev being a reformer he may be succeeded by an ‘old style’ Soviet leader OR that Gorbachev might be buying time so that the USSR could rebuild & re-emerge as more powerful & challenging.