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Summit in Geneva, Switzerland
This was a meeting help between President Dwight D. Eisenhower of the United States, Prime Minister Anthony Eden of Britain, Premier Nikolai A. Bulganin of the Soviet Union, and Prime Minister Edgar Faure of France. The purpose was to bring together world leaders and begin discussions on peace. World leaders also saw the position Geneva was in during the cold war and dicussed the best possible way to keep peace there. -
Richard Nixon & Policy of Detente
This regards Nixon's attempt to ease some of the tension created between the USA and Soviet Union during the cold war. The date May 22, 1972 is the day Nixon visited Moscow, Russia and met with Secretary-general of the Soviet Communist Party, Leonid I. Brezhnez. His efforts to at least begin a relationship with the Soviet Union was one of the first major steps to ending the cold war. Nixon said, "Let us move from the era of confrontation to the era of negotiation." -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
At the end of December, the Soviet Union sent thousands of troops into Afghanistan and immediately assumed complete military and political control of Kabul and large portions of the country. It was very violent and brutal from the start, and lasted until February 15, 1989. -
Solidarity Movement in Poland
On August 31, 1980, a Polish Trade Union emerged under the leadership of Lech Walesa. This union led to the first non-communist party-controlled trade union in the Warsaw Pact Country.The USA supported this movement financially helping it become better and more broad. -
Ronald Reagan adresses the National Association of Evangelicals
This was a speech by Reagan regarding communism to which he referred to as "the focus of evil in the modern world." This speech became known as the "Evil Empire Speech". An important topic discussed in this speech was the debate of "nuclear freeze" which would prevent the deployment of U.S and Soviet missiles and reduce the use of nuclear weapons. -
Strategic Defense Initiative
This defense initiative was Reagan's proposal to use ground-based and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. It was a different approach than usual, taking a more defensive stand point rather than offensive. -
Gorbachev, Perestroika, Glasnost
Perestroika and Glasnost were Policies introduced during the 1980's by Gorbachev. Perestroika relates to the reconstruction of the political and economic system established by the Communist Party, where as Glasnost was the name for the social and political reforms to give more rights and freedoms upon the Soviet people. Both these policies were very important in the contribution of the Soviet Union becoming more free. "Without perestroika, the cold war simply would not have ended."-Gorbachev -
Reykjavik Summit, Iceland
This was a meeting between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev that resulted in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. The meeting ended with no agreement, but they both saw what each other was willing to change in order to make for a more peaceful union. -
Reagan speech at Brandenberg Gate, West Berlin
This speech challenged the Soviet Union on the termination of the Berlin wall. He also discussed ending the arms race during this speech. In his speech, he said, "As I looked out a moment ago from the Reichstag, that embodiment of German unity, I noticed words crudely spray-painted upon the wall, perhaps by a young Berliner, 'This wall will fall. Beliefs become reality.' Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand." -
Reagan and Gorbachev sign INF treaty
Reagan and Gorbachev signed a treaty which eliminated the United States and Soviet Unions use of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall, which seperated East and West Berlin was torn down. Thousands flooded over the wall to freedom and to see loved one's whom had been seperated for years. One of Reagan's most famous quotes of all time was regarding the demolition of the Berlin Wall. He said, "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear down this wall!" -
Fall of Soviet Union
On December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union split into fifteen separate countries. Its collapse was hailed by the west as a victory for freedom, a triumph of democracy over the Soviets long reign of totalitarianism, and evidence of the superiority of capittalism as opposed to socialism. The United States was overjoyed knowing their enemy for so many years was finally beat and the cold war was finally over.
