Garrett,+Sarah

Sarah Garrett To what extent did Ronald Reagan contribute to the ending of the Cold War? Total Word Count 1976

Section A: Plan of Investigation(186)

 The purpose of this investigation is to examine the extent in which Ronald Reagan contributed to the ending of the Cold War. The main body of this investigation will provide a context for Ronald Reagan's philosophy towards ending the Cold War as well as address the significance of his policies such as the Reagan Doctrine and the Strategic Defense Initiative. It will also explain the environment that the Soviet Union at that time was operating under as well as the social and political changes that were occurring within the Soviet Union at that time. The two sources mainly utilized within this investigation include an article published by Margaret Thatcher called //Did the Reagan Doctrine Cause the Fall of the Soviet Union? Yes: Ronald Reagan Showed the Courage to Break the World Free of a Monstrous Creed// and a magazine article written by Joseph Nye called //Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War//. These sources will be evaluated according to their origin, purpose, values and limitations. A conclusion will be reached regarding the extent in which Ronald Reagan contributed to the ending of the Cold War.

Section B: Summary of Evidence(530)

When Ronald Reagan came into the political office of president in 1981(1), the United States was in the midst of the Cold War.(2) "Global Competition" between the United States and the Soviet Union had "reached a peak" (3) and tensions were running high in both countries. Reagan tried to have a superior military force to the Soviet Union by supporting a massive arms buildup, surging military budgets by 35 percent.(4)There was also a push from the larger military budgets not only to build up the number of weapons but also to create more sophisticated weapons so that they could gain "military superiority"(5). The Strategic Defense Initiative is just one example of the “sophisticated weapons” that Reagan was searching for. The Initiative proposed a shield that would protect the United States from nuclear missiles. Reagan supported not only a strong military but also powerful rhetoric against the Soviet Union and communism. Reagan used speeches to pressure the Soviet Union to agree with the United States and try to reduce pressure between the two nations, the most famous example being the Reagan Doctrine(7). The Reagan Doctrine proclaimed "overt and unashamed American support for anti-Communist" activities(8). Even with the harsh rhetoric, Reagan still pursued diplomatic option for arms limiting. Reagan was able to reach an agreements with Gorbachev to limit intermediate-range nuclear force missiles and to limit strategic arms (9). Overall, the ending of the Cold War left America as the only superpower in the world while resulting in the dismantling of the Soviet Union, leaving the impression or American superiority (10). History always has two sides. The Soviet Union was having problems even before Reagan became president. Social problems were common throughout the country and satellite states often demanded more freedom. There also seemed to be a decline communist ideology within the general public(11). Liberal ideas had spread from the west into Soviet culture, the appeal of the economic success allowed many citizens to ignore old communist ideology(12). Economically, the Soviet Union was struggling. Only 8 percent of Soviet industry was globally competitive (14) and the country was experiencing economic stagnation(15). Much of the soviet budget was going towards defense spending and towards the unsuccessful war in Afghanistan which caused the disappearance of other aspects of Soviet society.(16) One aspect of Soviet society that was taken away was healthcare which caused an increased mortality rate.(17). Even with increased military spending, Soviet technology lagged behind the United States by 10 years. The Soviet government was dysfunctional(18) and “had gone rotten" to the people(19). Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985 and tried to fix the problems within the Soviet Union by launching reform programs like perestroika which replaced the Soviet planned economy with a market economy and glasnost which allowed for a limited freedom of speech. Both programs were designed to try to fix the economic and social problems of the Soviet Union. He recognized the need for a new system and and realized that “the cold war had to end.”(21) To the Soviet Union, it was the failing communist system that ended the Cold War.

Section C: Evaluation of Sources(304)

Thatcher, Margaret, "Did the Reagan Doctrine Cause the Fall of the Soviet Union? Yes: Ronald Reagan Showed the Courage to Break the World Free of a Monstrous Creed," Insight, January 26, 1998. Copyright 1998 by News World Communications, Inc.

The origin of this source, a magazine article published in //Insight on the News//, was published on January 26, 1998 by Margaret Thatcher and Raymond L. Garthoff. The purpose of this article was to address the question of cause for the fall of the Soviet Union. The value of this article is that it addresses the importance of the Reagan Doctrine in the fall of the Soviet Union. It does this by outlining Reagan's philosophy towards communism and how that philosophy aided in the end of the cold war. Another value of this article is that it not only explains the Reagan Doctrine but also the Strategic Defense Initiative. The Strategic Defense Initiative was a military plan the helped to put pressure on the Soviet military, helping to end the cold war. A limitation of this source is that it may place a exaggerated view on the importance of Reagan because of the close political and personal relationship between Thatcher and Reagan.

Nye, Joseph S. "Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War." //New Straits Times//, April 5, 2006.

The origin of this source is and article published in the //New Straits Times// on April 5, 2006, by Joseph Nye. Nye is a Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor. The purpose of this article was to prove that the Soviet collapse was due to the decline of communist ideology and economic failure. The value of this article is that it outlines the environment that the Soviet Union was experiencing during the end of the Cold War. Another value is that it also outlines the politics behind Gorbachev, highlighting that he is often blamed for the ending the of Soviet Union with his new policies but instead the causes was the same as it was for the end of the cold war. A limitation of this source is that it is not discuss the effects of the United States on the Soviet Union.

Section D: Analysis(852)

The legacies of Reagan and Gorbachev are closely related because of the intense relationship between the two countries at the time. By discovering whether Reagan can be held responsible for the end of the cold war, the legacies of both leaders can be solidified. Reagan can either be seen as a hero for ending the cold war or a bystander to an already failing Soviet Union. Gorbachev can be seen se being overpowered by the United States causing the Cold War to end or as the resolver of the Cold War. Either way on of the leaders will be seen as the hero that ended the Cold War.

Through the Orthodox interpretation of the cold war, the Soviet Union was greatly held responsible for the starting of the cold war. By focusing on the fault of the Soviet Union to start the cold war, it would make sense that this Orthodox interpretation also supported the success of the United States by defeating the Soviet Union in the cold war by outgunning them not only militarily but also financially(23). Since the United States were able to increase their military at a faster rate than the Soviet Union(24), the Soviet Union was having a hard time not only keeping up with the size of the military but also have enough financial support within the country to support such a large increase(25). There is also the idea that the rhetoric that Reagan used against the Soviet Union helped support the fall of the Soviet Union, the most important example of this being the Reagan Doctrine(26). Margaret Thatcher outlines in her article how important she believes that the Reagan Doctrine was in ending the cold war and she completely attributes Reagan for the end of the Cold War peacefully. However, there are limitations to her point of view because the similarity between Thatcher’s policies in the United Kingdom and Reagan’s policies in the United States. Also the close relationship between Thatcher and Reagan both personally and politically may result in the slight exaggeration of the effects of Reagan’s policies in order to honor that relationship.

However there is also the opposite interpretation that it was the Soviet Union that was responsible for the end of the Cold War. This interpretation views the Cold war as more of an ideological conflict over something focusing on military dominance(27). An ideological conflict version of the Cold War would rely on the Soviet Union to end the cold war over Reagan. This view of the cold war is strongly supported due to the radical policy changes that Gorbachev put into motion in the Soviet Union including Perestroika and Glasnost as well as the extracting of influence in the Soviet satellite states that caused the ideological shift to allow for the end of the cold war(28). Perestroika introduced the idea of a free market within the USSR instead of a plan economy. This idea was directly against the traditional ideas of the Soviet Union where the economy was completely controlled by the state. Glasnost also introduced ideas that were not considered within the Soviet Union. No degree of free speech as ever considered until Glasnost was put into effect. Even if the Cold War is not thought of as an ideological conflict, the ideologies was the main cause for the conflict in the first place. So when those contrasting ideologies began to shift and the end of the Soviet Union was near, the tensions between the USSR and the USA decreased until the point where the Soviet Union collapsed. The complete end of the ideology conflict with can be seen as the end of the Cold war. There was also increase domestic unrest as the conflict within Afghanistan involving the Soviet Union seemed to drag on without any visible improvements for nine years. This contrasts the idea that it was Reagan’s policies and rhetoric that caused the collapse of the Soviet Union and instead identifies the shifting ideologies that brought the Soviet Union to the tipping point. Joseph Nye in his article outlined the internal conflicts occurring in the Soviet Union that weakened it in the Cold War as well as talked about how Gorbachev’s reform policies that caused the end of the Cold War(29). Although there are always differing opinion when trying to assign responsibility in history, Nye as been proven to have a more reliable point of view then Hatcher because of his lack of relationship with either Gorbachev or Reagan and from that he is able to have a more objective voice in history. From the evidence presented from both sides and the different interpretations that have been taken into account, it can be proven that the end of the Cold war was not caused by the policies of Reagan but instead caused by the situation in the Soviet Union and Gorbachev’s reform policies that allowed for a change in ideology which the original conflict had been over. The awareness of polices from both leaders as well as understanding the environment of both countries allows for that conclusion to be reached.

Section E: Conclusion(104)

 The end of the Cold War marked the end of an important chapter in world history, however who is responsible for the ending of this chapter can sometimes be debated. With the evaluation of sources supporting different interpretations of the end of the cold war, it was found the Reagan did not have that much of an impact on the ending of the cold war. It was instead the policies of Gorbachev that allowed for the ideological change within soviet policy that allowed for the end of the Cold War and for the United States to emerge as the supreme power in the world (30).

<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">Section F: Works Cited

<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">Garthoff, Raymond L. "Looking Back: The Cold War in Retrospect," Brooking Review, Summer 1994. Copyright 1994 by the Brookings Institution <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">Hoffman, David E. “Reagan’s Global Legacy- Hastening an End to the Cold War.” //Washington Post//. Israel Science and Technology, 6 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <[|__http://www.science.co.il/__]‌Arab-Israeli-conflict/‌Articles/‌Hoffman-2004-06-06.asp>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">Kaplan, Fred. “Ron and Mikhail’s Excellent Adventure.” //Slate//. Washington Post, 9 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <[|__http://www.slate.com/__]‌id/‌2102081/>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">Krauthammer, Charles. “Essay: The Reagan Doctrine.” //TIME//. TIME, 1 Apr. 1985. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <[|__http://www.time.com/__]‌time/‌magazine/‌article/‌0,9171,964873,00.html>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">Nye, Joseph S. "Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War." //New Straits Times//, April 5, 2006. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">“Ronald Reagan.” //The White House//. United States, 2010. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">Thatcher, Margaret, "Did the Reagan Doctrine Cause the Fall of the Soviet Union? Yes: Ronald Reagan Showed the Courage to Break the World Free of a Monstrous Creed," Insight, January 26, 1998. Copyright 1998 by News World Communications, Inc. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">The End of the Cold War.” //Nebraska Studies//. Nebraska Department of Education, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <[|__http://www.nebraskastudies.org/__]‌1000/‌frameset.html>.

Footnotes:

<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1.“Ronald Reagan.” //The White House//. United States, 2010. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.whitehouse.gov/__] ‌about/‌presidents/‌ronaldreagan>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2.Hoffman, David E. “Reagan’s Global Legacy- Hastening an End to the Cold War.” //Washington Post//. Israel Science and Technology, 6 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.science.co.il/__] ‌Arab-Israeli-conflict/‌Articles/‌Hoffman-2004-06-06.asp>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">3. ibid <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">4.“Ronald Reagan.” //The White House//. United States, 2010. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.whitehouse.gov/__] ‌about/‌presidents/‌ronaldreagan>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">5.Thatcher, Margaret, " Did the Reagan Doctrine Cause the Fall of the Soviet Union? Yes: Ronald Reagan Showed the Courage to Break the World Free of a Monstrous Creed ," Insight, January 26, 1998. Copyright 1998 by News World Communications, Inc. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">6.Hoffman, David E. “Reagan’s Global Legacy- Hastening an End to the Cold War.” //Washington Post//. Israel Science and Technology, 6 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.science.co.il/__] ‌Arab-Israeli-conflict/‌Articles/‌Hoffman-2004-06-06.asp>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">7.Kaplan, Fred. “Ron and Mikhail’s Excellent Adventure.” //Slate//. Washington Post, 9 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.slate.com/__] ‌id/‌2102081/>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">8.Krauthammer, Charles. “Essay: The Reagan Doctrine.” //TIME//. TIME, 1 Apr. 1985. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.time.com/__] ‌time/‌magazine/‌article/‌0,9171,964873,00.html>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">9.Hoffman, David E. “Reagan’s Global Legacy- Hastening an End to the Cold War.” //Washington Post//. Israel Science and Technology, 6 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.science.co.il/__] ‌Arab-Israeli-conflict/‌Articles/‌Hoffman-2004-06-06.asp>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">10.Thatcher, Margaret, "Did the Reagan Doctrine Cause the Fall of the Soviet Union? Yes: Ronald Reagan Showed the Courage to Break the World Free of a Monstrous Creed," Insight, January 26, 1998. Copyright 1998 by News World Communications, Inc. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">11.“The End of the Cold War.” //Nebraska Studies//. Nebraska Department of Education, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.nebraskastudies.org/__] ‌1000/‌frameset.html>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">12. Nye, Joseph S. "Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War." //New Straits Times//, April 5, 2006. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">13.“The End of the Cold War.” //Nebraska Studies//. Nebraska Department of Education, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.nebraskastudies.org/__] ‌1000/‌frameset.html>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">14.Nye, Joseph S. "Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War." //New Straits Times//, April 5, 2006. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">15.Hoffman, David E. “Reagan’s Global Legacy- Hastening an End to the Cold War.” //Washington Post//. Israel Science and Technology, 6 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.science.co.il/__] ‌Arab-Israeli-conflict/‌Articles/‌Hoffman-2004-06-06.asp>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">16.Nye, Joseph S. "Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War." //New Straits Times//, April 5, 2006 <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">17. ibid <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">18.Kaplan, Fred. “Ron and Mikhail’s Excellent Adventure.” //Slate//. Washington Post, 9 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.slate.com/__] ‌id/‌2102081/>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">19.Nye, Joseph S. "Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War." //New Straits Times//, April 5, 2006 <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">20.ibid <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">21.Raymond L. Garthoff, "Looking Back: The Cold War in Retrospect," Brooking Review, Summer 1994. Copyright 1994 by the Brookings Institution. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">22.Thatcher, Margaret, "Did the Reagan Doctrine Cause the Fall of the Soviet Union? Yes: Ronald Reagan Showed the Courage to Break the World Free of a Monstrous Creed," Insight, January 26, 1998. Copyright 1998 by News World Communications, Inc. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">23.“Ronald Reagan.” //The White House//. United States, 2010. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.whitehouse.gov/__] ‌about/‌presidents/‌ronaldreagan>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">24.Hoffman, David E. “Reagan’s Global Legacy- Hastening an End to the Cold War.” //Washington Post//. Israel Science and Technology, 6 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.science.co.il/__] ‌Arab-Israeli-conflict/‌Articles/‌Hoffman-2004-06-06.asp>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">25.Kaplan, Fred. “Ron and Mikhail’s Excellent Adventure.” //Slate//. Washington Post, 9 June 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|__http://www.slate.com/__] ‌id/‌2102081/>. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">26. Raymond L. Garthoff, "Looking Back: The Cold War in Retrospect," Brooking Review, Summer 1994. Copyright 1994 by the Brookings Institution. <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">27.Nye, Joseph S. "Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War." //New Straits Times//, April 5, 2006 <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">28.ibid <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">29.Thatcher, Margaret, "Did the Reagan Doctrine Cause the Fall of the Soviet Union? Yes: Ronald Reagan Showed the Courage to Break the World Free of a Monstrous Creed," Insight, January 26, 1998. Copyright 1998 by News World Communications, Inc.