Why The United States Won The Cold War?

Superior Essays
The Cold War lasted from 1947 to 1991. It was a time of tension and competition between the two superpowers of the world, The Soviet Union and The United States. The Cold War followed the end of World War II and carried through The Presidency of Ronald Reagan and eventually ended in 1991. The Cold War was called the Cold War because it never heated up into actual armed combat rather it was a competition between the powers on who could gain more military power, who could claim the land first and who could infiltrate the opposing side. There were instances where The Soviet Union and The United States did cross paths and meet. Planes flew over the Soviet Union in order to find information in order to make sure the United States were ahead in the …show more content…
The policies that he made weren’t the primary reason on why we won the Cold War nor does it prove that Reagan won the Cold War. “The United States and the Soviet Union each controlled opposing military and political alliances.” (Gale) The United States and the Soviet Union having controlling opposing powers that were competing with each other didn’t have to do with Reagan or his policies. Also, “ Both factions depended on a combination of military and economic power.” (Gale) they didn’t depend on Reagan and his policies. If is policies were rational and made more of an impact the factions would depend on him as well as the military and the economic power that both superpowers had. “Each side tried exhaustively to promote their values. Finally, the United States and the Soviet Union battled for spheres of influence throughout the Third World.” (Gale) In the Gale article it shows how the competition between the United States and Soviet Union didn’t have any relation from Reagan’s policies and how the reason the United States thrived and won and the Soviet Union fell was a problem internally in the structure of the actual power rather than a policy that Reagan created that would help the victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold …show more content…
His rise to power had nothing to do with the hostile behavior of the Reagan Administration it just had to do with his successors. If Reagan did have something to do with Gorbachev there might have been no progress in easing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union which would have just prolonged the war and nothing progressive would have come from it. “Only Gorbachev’s premature ascension to power and extraordinary departure from prior Soviet leadership patterns allowed for the stunning breakthroughs of the late 1980s.” (Weller) Also, “Gorbachev’s ideas, including his belief in the need to fundamentally reform the Soviet economy and to pull the superpowers away from the nuclear brink were not influenced by Reagan’s stridency. Instead, it is clear that Gorbachev and his key ideological ally, Alexander Yakovlev, had recognized the fundamental weaknesses in the Soviet system years before Gorbachev came to power” (Weller) What happened before Reagan was president so he couldn't have made a difference and he didn’t do anything. Finally, “ Gorbachev’s political mentor, the former KGB head Yuri Andropov, who was acutely aware of the bottlenecks, breakdowns and discontent in the Soviet system, also influenced Gorbachev’s understanding of the need for significant internal change.” (Weller) These factors led to the implosion of the Soviet Union

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    A big thing during Reagan's time in office was that cold war. Ronald Reagan’s first term in office was marked by a massive buildup of U.S. weapons and troops and it was also marked by the escalation of the cold war. Ronald called the Soviet Union the evil empire because of their nuclear weapons and artillery. Ronald encouraged America to provide aid to anti-communist movements in Africa, Asia, and Latin America under the Reagan Doctrine. The Strategic Defense Initiative was activated by Reagan to develop space-based weapons to protect America from attacks by Soviet nuclear missiles.…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ronald Reagan was the fortieth president of the United States in the year of 1981, amid one the greatest discordances in American history, The Cold War. The Cold War was a warring period between US-led western powers and the communist, Soviet Union. Throughout the Cold War, The Soviet Union was rapidly gaining european territories and increasing the power of communism throughout the eastern hemisphere. As tensions between the nations grew to an all time high, an arms race begun. The United States and Soviet Union struggled for superiority in the innovation and accumulation of weapons.…

    • 1894 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ronald Reagan did not win the Cold War. This is because the ideologies of the western world were accepted by the leaders of the Soviet Union. While some scholars may argue that the Reagan administration was “knocking on an open door” (Gaddis 349), this was not the case. Rather, the pressure from Western popular culture penetrated the wall of the Soviet Union. As Deudney and Ikenberry write, “It was not so much abstract liberal principles but rather the Western way of life-the material and cultural manifestations of the West’s freedoms-that subverted the Soviet vision” (356).…

    • 185 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Political Power Dbq

    • 198 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Ronald Reagan came to office with the belief the United States and other free nations should use all aspects of political, military, economic, diplomatic and cultural power to defeat Communism. When he was elected into the the White House, he put those ideas into practice. So when the wall came down between East and West Berlin, the news drove home gave hope and convinced Americans that the communism is declining. In one of Reagan’s most famous Cold War speeches, President Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin wall and…

    • 198 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    He sat upright, allowing himself to be seen by any protestor or bullet. Ronald Reagan took action against communism and the Cold War long before his two presidential terms. Before his election, The United States leaders believed the best strategy to bring about the conclusion of the Cold War was containment and détente. Containment was used as an attempt to stop the Soviet Union from spreading communism beyond their own territories and lands, while détente was an attempt of the United States’ peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union. Ronald Reagan, detesting détente, said in a 1981 news conference,…

    • 1626 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    He was extremely determined in bring an end to the cold war. He didn’t appease the communists or negotiate with them. He had a plan for peace by being stronger then them in every way possible he called it his “Peace through Strength” plan. While speaking to a crowd of thousands, Reagan said to the General Secretary of the Soviet Union, “Mr. Gorbachev,…

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ronald Reagan was re-elected as President with the largest electoral college victory in US history and he changed the course of the Cold War through the Reagan doctrine. In December of 1991, two years after President Reagan left office, the Cold War ended when the Soviet Union was dissolved. President Reagan's prediction of the collapse of Soviet communism had come true. America and its allies had prevailed in the Cold War.…

    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In 1987, the Americans and the Soviets agreed to sign a historic agreement to get rid of intermediate-range nuclear missiles. And later that year, reagan spoke out at Germany's Berlin wall, a symbol of communism, and decided to challenge Gorbachev to tear the wall down. Two and a half years later, he allowed the people of Berlin to take down the wall. Reagan's economic legacy was very mixed. On one side, tax reduction and a tightening of interest rates by the federal reserve followed a record period of economic growth.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    First being the ending of the Cold War and communism. Reagan proponents continues to exert the notion that as a political leader of the free world during a very critical moment in our nation and world history; his policies directly contributed to the demise of communism and a new era in national and world politics. He stood up to the USSR and secured the United States position as a military and economic powerhouse. President Reagan’s goal was to contain Soviet communism and furthermore, reverse its gains and eliminate it. During this time, the president thought the Soviet Union's government-controlled economy could not compete successfully against America's free-market system.…

    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Reagan’s opinion of Gorbachev, and vice-versa, was “distrustful” at best. Reagan would constantly call the Soviet Union the evil empire and constantly focus his attention on the deterrent system known as at the time “Star Wars”. This program would shoot missiles out of the sky from outer space if a nuclear attack was to ever happen. Once Gorbachev knew of such a system, he had all but given up on trying to outspend America in defense. Gorbachev would start to focus his efforts and money to the people of the Soviet Union because they desperately needed it.…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ronald Reagan Conservatism

    • 1067 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This agreement served as the first major step in improving relations with Russia and ending the Cold War. Along with ending the Cold War, President Reagan intended to combat communism by funding a Nicaraguan anti-communist militia. Although the plan ultimately failed, it proved that protecting Americans and the values they stand for was worth fighting…

    • 1067 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ronald Reagan Opposition

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Although Ronald Reagan is the face of the “End of the Soviet Union” I honestly believe it wouldn’t have been done if it wasn’t for Reagan’s officials in the executive branch. Reagans administration officials played a huge role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Reagan administration fought for a wide array of attempts that increased confrontations with the U.S.S.R. and its allies. Reagan along with the help of his officials, increased in U.S. defense spending designed to update existing forces and accomplish technological advancements that the Soviet Union could not match. For example, the administration fought a larger naval force with improved technical abilities, deployment of intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, development…

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ronald Reagan has been known for ending the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The Cold War was still going since WWII. Reagan wanted to reverse the policy of detente and finally stand up against the Soviet Union. Giving aid to the rebellions, he was hoping to quickly reverse what the Soviet Union was doing. Ronald Reagan wanted to give aid and make a legacy for himself.…

    • 1390 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Book Review Author: Robert J. McMahon Title: The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction Publisher: Oxford University Press Place and Date of Publication: New York, 2003 Topic and Scope: In The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction, Robert J. McMahon discusses a general account of the Cold War, spanning the period from 1945 to the finale of the Soviet-American confrontation in 1990. McMahon discusses key events, trends, and themes that that highlighted key players, such as Stalin, de Gaulle, and Reagan. He also devotes much attention to the Cold War 's domestic as well as international effects.…

    • 763 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Instead, he thought there was a gray area. Reagan had a distinct vision, which he typically pursued with or without the support of his advisors. Three pinnacle pieces of Reagan’s vision were U.S. military buildup, anti-nuclearism and a change in the national policy towards the Soviet Union. Reagan wanted to restore the United States’ strength through military buildup. Reagan believed that the United States…

    • 1251 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays