In hindsight, one can see that the Cold War was not destined to end as it did, but rather that Ronald Reagan played a key role in the outcome. Ultimately, this research will explain how Reagan successfully negotiated with what he initially called `the evil empire’. Reagan and ‘The Evil Empire’
While it would be an easy temptation, with the softening of the edges of history with time, to merely claim that Ronald Reagan was able to communicate and negotiate with ‘the evil empire’ simply because of his exceptional communication skills, but there was another element as well which turned the tide of the Cold War. Without a doubt, one of the key “weapons” which Reagan’s used in order to negotiate with the USSR was the introduction of the Strategic Defense Initiative, or SDI.
It was with the introduction of this initiative on the part of the US that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev came to the realization that his crumbling military complex, growing economic turmoil, and resentment of oppression on the part of millions of people under Soviet control made it necessary to both relax the control that the USSR was trying to maintain and to also begin to communicate with the West, which culminated with the lowering of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War as such (Daniels).
Conclusion As has been seen, the Cold War’s outcome was not a foregone conclusion, but was in fact the result of the efforts of Ronald Reagan and others to make it a reality. Therefore, finally, we must give Reagan his due credit, but likewise give credit to the other forces which changed world history forever. Works Cited
The Essay on Soviet Union Gorbachev War Cold
After World War II, the Soviet Union's economy had declined. Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union, felt compelled to do something to reverse the economic decline and decay. Gorbachev believed that the Soviet Union needed a change and he wanted his nation to catch up with the economic advances of other nations. "Gorbachev's aim had been to strengthen the political and economic systems ...
Boydston, Jeanne; Cullather, Nick; Lewis, Jan; McGerr, Michael; Oakes, James (2001).
Making a Nation; the United States and Its People, Combined Edition. New York: Prentice Hall. Daniels, Robert V. The End of the Communist Revolution. New York: Routledge, 1993. Pemberton, William E. The Life and Presidency of Ronald Reagan The Life and Presidency of Ronald Reagan. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 1998.
