Gorbachev And Ronald Reagan Flashcards
Ronald reagan
Won US election in 1980, wanted to be more aggressive towards the USSR and thought that détente showed weakness. Was said to be unqualified to be president.
Evil empire speech
March 8 1983, Ronald Reagan calls USSR an evil empire and says that it’s evil comes from it’s leaders. Shows that he believes that the cold war is a battle of good and evil and the continuation of the arms race is justified.
Reagan Doctrine
1985 The USA would support any anti-communist group including those overthrowing communist governments.
SDI
(strategic defense initiative) announced in 1983 to be a series of satellites that could shoot down soviet missiles, breaking the outer-space treaty and defeating MAD. Put pressure on a struggling Soviet Union.
Ronald Reagan’s impact on the cold war
His assertive approach increased tenisions.
USSR in the 1980s
No industrial growth (money spent on military), low living standards, there had been a run of leaders in poor health who all died.
Mikhail Gorbachev
Became Soviet leader in 1985, wanted to reform communism to revive it. His reforms led to changes in foriegn policy and tensions with the US.
Glasnost
Russian for ‘openness’. Used to describe Gorbachev’s new, more open approach to government- less corrupt.
Perestroika
Russian for ‘reconstruction’. Gorbachev planned to reorganise and reconstruct the Soviet state.
Gorbachev’s reforms
Allowed opposition to the government to spread it’s views, gave people a better understanding of how the country was run, dropped Brezhnev doctrine, withdrew from Afghanistan.
INF treaty
(Intermediate-range nuclear force treaty) signed at 1987 washington conference. Abolished land based missiles with a range of 500-5500km.
Olympic boycotts
1980- USA lead a boycott of Moscow olympics (which would’ve promoted communism) joined by 60 countries in protest of the invasion of Afghanistan.
1984- Los Angeles olympics boycotted by USSR and 15 communist countries.
