end cold war_interps

Triumphalists Critics

• Impact of Reagan’s foreign policy on USSR ended Cold War

▫ Reagan’s hard-line stance

▫ Pressure on USSR

▫ SDI, military spending

Supported by Thatcher

• USSR long term issues re over-commitment to military spending

▫ Worsened by Afghanistan

• Reagan little impact

▫ USSR already knew it couldn’t continue

▫ May have delayed end of Cold War

• Divided

• Some say US pressure big impact▫ Covert actions of CIA especially

▫ Gorbachev gave in to pressure Russian nationalists especially hold this view

US aim long term = destroy USSR, weaken Russia

• Others defend Gorbachev▫ New Political Thinking important

Alternative to superpower conduct based on fear and confrontation

• Polish Pope▫ Solidarity in Poland

▫ Christian faith strong

• Encouragement to stand up for human rights

• Role can be over-stated▫ Influential in Poland

▫ Elsewhere Catholicism not as strong Eastern Orthodox, Protestantism

• Another area of debate...

• Triumphalists:▫ Difficult to trust because of his aims

Retain status as Superpower Maintain global interests

Increase influence by more especially via non-military means

▫ Reforms designed to strengthen USSR By revitalising both economy and political leadership

• Critics disagree...

Spitting Image view of Gorbachev and USSR

• Some see him as hero ending Cold War

• Gorbachev = the difference▫ Gorbachev’s intentions, attitudes to West

Key factor

Reduced tensions, fear

• New Political Thinking:▫ Alternative conduct of relations

No longer based on fear, confrontation

Prepared to make concessions

• Soviet system itself▫ Weaknesses in communism as an

ideology Undermined Soviet system

Collapse of communism “inevitable”

• People Power!▫ Consequence of failure of communist

regimes

▫ Regimes lost touch With people, even own politics

• Some argue only possible because of Gorbachev▫ People Power only able to develop because of change

in Soviet leadership New Political Thinking

Gorbachev again

• Or a generational shift..?▫ Based on new evidence from USSR

▫ Attitudes of Soviet people changed Memories of World War II faded, died

No need defend against Nazism

▫ No need spread communist ideology

▫ No need adhere strictly to CPSU

End of Cold War

Generational

Shift

Reagan

Communism Failed

Economics

People Power

Gorbachev

Internal Factors

External Factors