Causes and Effects of the End of the Cold War

Causes and Effects of the End of the Cold War

Objective

  • Explain the causes and effects of the end of the Cold War and its legacy.

Ronald Reagan's Role

  • Reagan hastened the end of the Cold War through:
    • Speeches.
    • Diplomatic efforts.
    • Limited military interventions.
    • Buildup of nuclear and conventional weapons.

Speeches

  • Reagan aimed to convince the world that the Soviet Union was ready to fall.

  • 1982 Speech to British Parliament:

    • Stated that freedom and democracy would leave Marxism-Leninism on the "ash heap of history."

  • 1983 "Evil Empire" Speech:

    • Denounced the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," increasing tensions.

Diplomatic Efforts

  • Mikhail Gorbachev's Rise to Power (1985):
    • Gorbachev introduced reforms:
      • Glasnost: Political freedom for Soviet citizens.
      • Perestroika: Limited free market practices in the Soviet economy.
  • Easing Tensions:
    • INF Agreement: Agreement to destroy all intermediate-range missiles.
    • Gorbachev agreed to remove Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

Limited Military Interventions

  • Reagan Doctrine:
    • The US would support any anti-communist regime, regardless of its democratic status or human rights record.
  • Nicaragua:
    • In 1979 Nicaragua became communist under the Sandinista.
  • Iran-Contra Affair:
    • The US secretly sold weapons to Iran.
    • The Reagan administration used funds from the Iran arms sales to aid the Contras in Nicaragua.

Buildup of Nuclear and Conventional Weapons

  • Expanded military spending.
  • New weapons:
    • B-1 bomber
    • MX missile
  • Expanded the US Navy's fleet from 450 to over 600 ships.
  • Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI):
    • Proposed building military-grade satellites to shoot down enemy missiles from space with lasers.
    • Critics called it "Star Wars."
  • Increased Defense Budget:
    • Grew from 170 billion in 1981 to over 300 billion in 1985.

George H.W. Bush and the End of the Cold War

  • Bush took office in 1988 as the Soviet Union was falling apart.
  • Challenges to Soviet Power:
    • Constant challenges in Eastern European nations.
  • Gorbachev's Decision:
    • Decreased Soviet influence by no longer supporting communist governments with military force.
  • 1989: Poland elected a non-communist leader.
    • Other communist bloc countries followed suit.
    • East Germans tore down the Berlin Wall.
  • START treaty
  • Big win because without reduction in nuclear arms.
  • Each nation could only blow up the world 50 times over instead of a thousand times over
  • START II Treaty:
    • The US offered funds to Russia to stabilize their unstable economy after the collapse.