assess the view that it was Regan that ended the cold war.

POV that Regan was the one who ended the cold war.

• Reagan replaced Carter in 1980 with a new approach: 'we win and they lose'.

• In NSDD-75 (1983), he outlined a plan to reverse Soviet expansionism, aiming for a stronger USA.

• Acknowledged that the Soviet economy needed reform; reviving the arms race could strain Moscow further.

• Pledged to maintain the US nuclear arsenal, labeling the USSR an 'evil empire'.

• Initiated the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to defend against ballistic missile attacks using space technology.

• Believed the Cold War could be concluded through intimidation rather than appeasement.

• Concluded that Soviet communism was crumbling and ready to falter.

• Key strategy involved support for anti-communist forces in places like Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Angola, and Cambodia.

• Regained psychological superiority in the arms race by challenging the USSR, leading to the abandonment of communism's global ambitions.

• By 1989, the Reagan Doctrine had achieved its objectives; Gorbachev acknowledged the failures of Marxism-Leninism.

• Upon Gorbachov becoming president in 1985, Reagan sought a negotiable leader, meeting Gorbachev in Geneva (Nov 1985).

• Reassured Gorbachev that the USA did not desire the destruction of the USSR, setting a constructive tone for further negotiations.

• Made his iconic speech in West Berlin on June 12, 1987, urging, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!".

alternative POV; it was also through Gorbachov

• Conversely, Gorbachev inherited a stagnant political and economic landscape and recognized the inefficiency of the communist regime.

• He intended to demilitarize Soviet foreign policy to free up resources for economic reform.

• Sought to change communism from within rather than abolish it entirely, yet miscalculated the potential for revolutionary movements. ( solidarity, velvet regime…)

• His refusal to use force allowed internal dissent to dismantle Soviet control.

• The loosening of governmental power initiated a domino effect across Eastern Europe.

• By the summer of 1989, Eastern Europeans began to claim more freedoms, ultimately leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall by November.

• Gorbachev realized that maintaining control over Eastern Europe was increasingly costly, particularly in light of the burdens posed by the Afghan conflict.