8.8 In-depth Notes on the End of the Cold War and the Collapse of the Soviet Union

The End of the Cold War

• Historical Context

  • By 1991, the Cold War was nearing its end with the impending collapse of the Soviet Union.

• Causes for the End of the Cold War

  1. Technological and Military Advancements by the U.S.
  • In the early 1980s, U.S. and Soviet Union possessed over 12,000 nuclear missiles aimed at each other.
  • Mutual assured destruction was a key deterrent against nuclear war.
  • The SALT I Treaty (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) was signed during détente (1970s) between U.S. President Nixon and Soviet Premier Brezhnev, limiting the production of nuclear weapons.
  • With the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, the U.S. adopted a hardline stance against the Soviets:
    • Launched the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as "Star Wars", aimed at creating a space-based defense system to intercept nuclear missiles.
    • Although SDI was never fully developed, it escalated tensions as Reagan predicted the Soviets would try to keep up with U.S. military spending, which they could not afford due to a stagnant economy.