Cold War: Escalation and Gorbachev Era

Reagan's Strategy: Aimed to break the Cold War stalemate by reasserting American dominance.
Peace Through Strength: Increased defense spending to pressure the Soviets into an arms race they couldn't win.
Soviet Misinterpretation: Led to a panic, with the Soviets fearing a US first strike due to military exercises.
NATO Allies' Concerns: Detente was still popular in Europe, causing conflict with Reagan's aggressive anti-Soviet policies.
Nuclear Freeze Movement: Demonstrated widespread public desire for an end to the arms race.

Gorbachev's Rise: Elected as General Secretary, signaling a shift towards reform and openness.
New Thinking: Gorbachev was willing to acknowledge failures, embrace reform, and negotiate with the West.
INF Treaty (1987): Eliminated intermediate-range nuclear forces, a momentous agreement with verification measures. Within three years, the treaty had led to the destruction of over two and a half thousand nuclear weapons
Glasnost and Perestroika: Policies aimed at openness and economic restructuring, inspired by the Chernobyl disaster.
Unintended Consequences: Glasnost led to widespread criticism and uprisings in Eastern Europe.