END OF COLD WAR DATES

4 Nov 1980

Reagan is elected President of the USA on a promise to implement a massive defence buildup

Nov 1981

Reagan proposes Zero Option i.e., the US will not deploy new MRBMs in Europe if the USSR withdraws their existing MRBMs and IRBMs from Europe.

Reagan authorised the provision of aid to Contra rebels in Nicaragua

May 1982

A bipartisan (both Republican and Democrat) resolution on Nuclear Freeze is passed by the House of Representatives in the US Congress

12 Jun 1982

The Nuclear Freeze campaign holds a large peace rally approximating 1 million participants, involving many national organisations and religious bodies.

8 Mar 1983

Reagan describes the USSR as an evil empire in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals

23 Mar 1983

Reagan announces the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) to create a missile defence system in space

Oct 1983

The US invades Grenada to overthrow its Marxist government.

Nov 1983

The US deploys Pershing II missiles in Western Europe.

19-20 Nov 1985

Reagan and Gorbachev meet at the Geneva Summit, where talks about arms reduction starts

Sep 1986

In a letter to Reagan, Gorbachev offers to destroy all INF in Europe, in effect endorsing Reagan’s Zero-Option (1981) idea.

11-12 Oct 1986

Reagan and Gorbachev meet at the Reykjavik Summit, where the SDI issue becomes a stumbling block to arms reduction.

Feb 1987

Gorbachev offers to de-link the SDI issue from the INF talks.

Sep 1987

Reagan reciprocates and offers double Zero-Option i.e., both sides will destroy their INF, to Gorbachev.

8-10 Dec 1987

Reagan and Gorbachev meet at the Washington Summit, to sign the INF treaty.

29 May-3 Jun 1988

Reagan visits Moscow and meets Gorbachev at the Moscow Summit.

8 Nov 1988

George Bush, Sr is elected President of the USA.

7 Dec 1988

Gorbachev delivers a speech at the UNGA where he announces Soviet military cutbacks and the foreign policy of New Thinking

15 Feb 1989

The last Soviet troops leave Afghanistan, and the decade-long occupation of the country ends.

Jan-Dec 1989

communism collapsed in eastern europe

2-3 Dec 1989

Bush and Gorbachev meet at the Malta Summit and discuss developments in Europe and further arms reduction.

3 Oct 1990

East Germany and West Germany are reunified

19 Nov 1990

The Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty is signed to cut conventional (non-nuclear) forces in Europe

1 Jul 1991

The Warsaw Pact is dissolved.

31 Jul 1991

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) is signed.