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Ronald Reagan rise to power
Reagan greatly increased the military spending, his five-year, $1.5 trillion defense programme from 1982 to 1986 included the MX-ICBM, the Trident IL-SLBM, as well as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). If successful would make the Soviet’s nuclear buildup redundant, as the SDI could make the United States invulnerable to nuclear attacks. This formidable rearmament programme eventually drove Gorbachev to try to limit the arms race as he realized that the USSR could not keep up due to its eco -
Glasnost and Perestroika
Glasnost’s called for increased political openness and transparency had brought about unforeseen consequences. Soviets were now better informed of their nation’s failures and economic backwardness. Long-denied problems such as poor housing, food shortages, widespread pollution and creeping mortality rates were givien additional attention. Internal calls for independence took place with Moscow’s ability to impose her will over the Soviet constituent republics were greatly undermined. Calls for in -
Gorbachev's Rise to Power
Gorbachev's policies like glasnost, perestroika and new political thinking are some of the policies that brought doom to his country. -
The Reykjyavik Summit
Gorbachev’s willingness to end the arms is underlined by the sweeping concessions he made at Reykjyavik Summit. He accepted Reagan’s zero option plan and even proposed the abolishment of all nuclear weapons within ten years, on a condition that the SDI programme to be removed. However due to Reagan’s stubbornness in refusing to scrap the SDI, it became a stumbling block to the talks. This meant that the cold war as defined by the arms race did not end in 1986. -
Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty ( INF ) which provided the destruction of all of NATO’s Pershing IIs and Ground Launch Cruise Missiles and all of Soviet SS-20s by the end of 1991. This was a significant move by Gorbachev as the INF treaty has drastically asymmetrical reduced 1836 Soviet missiles compared to the 867 American missiles. -
Solidarity-led coalition wins Polish Elections
First Country in the Soviet Bloc to carry out a free election and have a non-communist party in victory. -
Sinatra Doctrine
the Sinatra doctrine created by Gorbachev, had allowed the Eastern-European satellite states to determine their own internal affairs. The Sinatra doctrine had dramatic effects on the Soviet bloc. The beleaguered East German government had hoped for a Soviet intervention to defend communism in East Germany. However, the Sinatra doctrine had signaled the Soviet’s stand of not aiding the East German communist. This led to the ousting of communist leaders of Eastern Germany, Czechoslovakia and Bulga -
Secession of Soviet republics
The breakup of the soviet republics from USSR. -
The August Coup
1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt to remove Gorbachev from power. It is widely considered to have contributed to the demise of the USSR. -
Fall of the USSR
End of the Cold War
