The End of the Cold War 1985-1991
A mind map showing the end of the Cold War from the start of Gorbachev's leadership in 1985 to the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
- Created by: Sam Brewer
- Created on: 16-05-13 21:05
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- The End of the Cold War 1985-91
- Gorbachev
- Leader of Communist Party between 1985-91
- Often seen as the man who ended the Cold War
- Brought 'new thinking' to Soviet foreign policy
- Achievement of security would be a political not military one
- Required an end to confrontation between the superpowers
- Achievement of security would be a political not military one
- Abandoned the so called Brezhnev Doctrine ny the end of 1988
- 'Initiative' in 1986 to remove all nuclear weapons by 2000 starting with a 50% cut
- USA agreed but was reluctant to stop the SDI program immediately while Britain and France refused the idea point blank
- Gorbachev and Reagan Summits
- Geneva Nov 1985
- Gorbachev introduces idea of 'reasonable sufficiency'- an open rejection of aggression
- Referred to as a 'watershed in relations'
- Revealed that Gorbachev had removed the ideological split
- Reykjavik Oct 1986
- Seen by Reagan as an attempt to kill SDI
- Reagan committed to the program
- Reykjavik was a chance to make sweeping reforms to nuclear weapons
- Though the opportunity was missed
- Gorbachev left feeling as if Reagan still wanted to continue the arms race
- Seen by Reagan as an attempt to kill SDI
- Washington Dec 1987
- Many strong supporters of SDI left US office before the summit
- Signed the INF Treaty
- Some argue this was the most significant joint step to ending the arms race
- Removed all missiles carried intermediate range ballistic missiles
- Soviets removed far more missiles than the Americans
- Gorbachev made no demand for the ending of SDI
- USSR effectively agreed to the 'zero option' proposed by Reagan in 1981
- USSR agreed to withdraw from Afghanistan
- All Soviet troops had left by May 1989
- Moscow May-Jun 1988
- Main point was Reagan could actually meet Russian people
- Addressed students in the Moscow State University
- Reagan said that he no longer considered the USSR 'an evil empire'
- Main point was Reagan could actually meet Russian people
- Geneva Nov 1985
- By the end of Reagan's presidency the end of the Cold War seemed closer than ever before
- Some argue that Reagan's aggressive approach forced the USSR into a position where it simply could not compete with the US
- Bush's Presidency
- Malta Summit saw agreements for closer economic links between the two powers
- Showed the world that the Soviet economy was slowly but surely becoming market driven
- December 1989
- Much of Eastern Europe had by this time removed communism
- Bush agreed not to interfere in Germany or the Baltic states who wanted freedom from the USSR
- More arms reductions were agreed in Washington in May 1990
- START agreed in July 1991 in Moscow
- Gorbachev agreed in Paris with Euro leaders that the USSR should not have a nuclear superiority on the continent
- Soviet Union was dissolved in December 1991
- Malta Summit saw agreements for closer economic links between the two powers
- Gorbachev
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