The biggest de-escalation of the Cold War happened in the late 1980s and was made of serendipity, if not outright luck. The unlikely combination of United States President Ronald Reagan and USSR Head of State Mikhail Gorbachev, two devoted nationalist respectively, created the perfect storm for easing of tensions between the longtime enemies. By addresses each leaders individual personalities, early encounters, and collaborations, we can see the major impact Reagan and Gorbachev’s relationship had on the Cold War and thus avoiding imminent nuclear war.
The Personalities
Fear of nuclear war had been the international climate since the late 1940s and was escalating rapidly after Ronald Reagan took office in 1981. The United States and the USSR had been in the midst of nuclear arms buildup for the greater part of forty years and the world was on high alert. The balance of world peace was on its axis and …show more content…
Trust was between the two was nonexistent, something both the United States and the Kremlin contributed to. Many would argue that the relationship between the two countries would not have been improved had Reagan and Gorbachev not been two outsiders in their respective countries.
Gorbachev was the first to reach out to the Reagan and on November 16, 1985, the President and first lady Nancy flew to Geneva to meet with their longtime adversaries. Despite Reagan’s distrust of the Russians, as well as his negative preconceived notions built in the Hollywood hills, Reagan was quickly impressed with Gorbachev. As he’d later admit, “As we shook hands, I had to admit…there was something likable about Gorbachev” (Leffler, 2007, pg. 382). The conversations began to build trust between the two super powers which was vitally important given that both leaders agreed the fate of the world was in their hands (Leffler,
The Personalities
Fear of nuclear war had been the international climate since the late 1940s and was escalating rapidly after Ronald Reagan took office in 1981. The United States and the USSR had been in the midst of nuclear arms buildup for the greater part of forty years and the world was on high alert. The balance of world peace was on its axis and …show more content…
Trust was between the two was nonexistent, something both the United States and the Kremlin contributed to. Many would argue that the relationship between the two countries would not have been improved had Reagan and Gorbachev not been two outsiders in their respective countries.
Gorbachev was the first to reach out to the Reagan and on November 16, 1985, the President and first lady Nancy flew to Geneva to meet with their longtime adversaries. Despite Reagan’s distrust of the Russians, as well as his negative preconceived notions built in the Hollywood hills, Reagan was quickly impressed with Gorbachev. As he’d later admit, “As we shook hands, I had to admit…there was something likable about Gorbachev” (Leffler, 2007, pg. 382). The conversations began to build trust between the two super powers which was vitally important given that both leaders agreed the fate of the world was in their hands (Leffler,