Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
The policies of the Reagan Administration WERE instrumental in the breakup…
The policies of the Reagan Administration WERE instrumental in the breakup of the Soviet Union
Arguments for the assertion
Reagan Doctrine
The Nuclear Agenda
Buildup
Reagan used a massive buildup of nukes to convince the Soviets to ask for a reduction treaty.
This would work because the US economy was stronger and could produce more nukes than the USSR
The main reason the Soviet economy was so bad was because of the arms buildup
In 1983, amid Soviet opposition, the US deployed mid-range nukes in West Germany. This forced the USSR to dismantle their own mid-range missiles in Europe. This whole ordeal strengthened NATO and other US alliances
Reagan’s modernization of the nuclear arsenal forced Soviet leaders to revamp their own weapons draining the Soviet economy and increasing internal tensions
Reagan modernized US nuclear capabilities for more deterrent
Reductions
Gorbachev desperately needed an arms reduction treaty because the Soviet economy was in disarray
Reagan wanted an arms reduction because he say nukes as morally wrong
Reagan began to push for reductions in his second term
Conventions
Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva in November 1985 to discuss a nuclear reduction treaty
They met in Reykjavik in 1986 but SDI was to big of an obstacle to overcome
When Gorbachev came to power in 1985 Reagan convinced him he could not win in an arms race.
SDI
Reagan used SDI in order to end MAD
Reagan was stunned that no defense to nukes had been invented before
The Soviets took Star Wars as a preparation for a US first nuclear attack. This along with the opposition to SDI showed that Soviets saw Star Wars as a real and true threat they could not compete with.
Stands for the Strategic Defense Initiative
Called "Star Wars"
Point was to create a defense from nukes
Reagan's opinions on nukes
Reagan saw MAD as morally flawed and attempted to end it
"Close calls"
Nuclear war almost started in 1983 when the Soviets shot down a Korean airliner
When the US and NATO held a war games, many Soviets feared it was a cover up for an actual US attack
Military Buildup
#
Fears
Many in Europe thought the military buildup would aggravate the USSR
Advances
New Tech
B-1 Stealth Bomber
New nuclear capable submarines
New types of nukes
Buildup of conventional military in first 6 years
3,000 new aircraft
3,700 new missiles
10,000 new tanks
Soviet economy
This forced Soviets to try to match the power, and bankrupt their economy 53
American Intervention in Foreign Countries
Afghanistan
Reason for US intervention
The USSR had a huge force and Afghanistan and a huge stake in the country
The US wanted to demoralize the Soviets by winning in Afghanistan
The US also wanted to extend the length of the war in order to increase the cost, further straining the Soviet economy
US tactics
The US gave arms and money to the mujahedeen
The US gave satellite intelligence, rifles, ammo, and mortars to the rebels
The US also gave Stinger missiles to the rebels which were very effective against Soviet helicopters
Effects
The mujahedeen carried out attacks in Soviet territory, further demoralizing the Soviet people
From 1981- Spring 1983, 20,000 Soviet troops were killed
The Soviet people were effectively demoralized by Afghanistan
The Soviets withdrew in 1986
“ The venture became a Vietnam-like quagmire for the Soviets”
Others
Nicaragua
Reagan saw the Communist regime that started in 1979 as the biggest challenge to US democracy because of how close it was
Angola
Cuba had invaded Angola
Cambodia
Vietnam had been occupying Cambodia
In 1983 Reagan invaded Grenada to oust a Communist regime
Basics
The Reagan Doctrine focused on 4 countries: Afghanistan, Vietnam, Angola, and Nicaragua.
The Doctrine eventually forced Soviets to withdraw from Afghanistan, Vietnam to withdraw from Cambodia, and Cuba to withdraw from Angola.
Soviets had occupied Afghanistan for over a year when Reagan came to power
The point of the Reagan Doctrine was to win the Cold War and end nuclear arms
The Reagan Doctrine comprised of: extreme buildup of US military strength, undying support of US allies in every matter, overt and covert resistance to Soviet support in wars around the globe, publicly decrying the Soviets while secretly reaching compromises with them, and SDI.
NSDD-32 said that the US would try to end Soviet control in Europe and allowed the use of covert action to help anti-Communist groups, especially in Poland.
NSDD-66 said that the US would disrupt the USSR economy by attacking her financial credits, high technology, and natural gas
NSDD-75 said that the US wouldn’t try to exist in peace with the Soviet system and would try to end Soviet influence whenever possible.
Human Rights
Previous Human Rights Abuses
Gulags
22.5 million people total
Started during the Stain Era
At least 1.6 million were there under Stalin
Most were in Siberia
Many consider it to be cultural and religious genocide
Only the sustained use of force, credible terror, and a sense of isolation could keep the Communist system from collapsing
The USSR relied on suppressing their peoples to hold their empire together
Reagan pushed hard for human rights
Reagan push hard with both the Brezhnev and Gorbachev for human rights
At the summit in Reykjavik, Gorbachev agreed to make human rights a large part of the negotiating agenda
From 1986-1989 the USSR released over 600 political prisoners
Counter Arguments to address
Gorbachev
Perestroika and Glasnost
Many blamed the hardships and food shortages on Glasnost and Perestroika
"I can't eat or wear glasnost," the miner said, adding that he would rather have food than freedom
Perestroika was an attempt to “restructure” Soviet society and end the economic halt that was occurring in the USSR
Perestroika tried to finally fix the Soviet economy by instituting a little bit more capitalism
Glasnost (meaning openness) permitted the discussion of government policy
Glasnost lead to rampant criticism of Soviet leaders and policy
Glasnost and Perestroika lead to dreams of a free and open society
The USSR instituted glasnost and perestroika to make the USSR more transparent
Democratization
In 1988 Gorbachev placed term limits for Party officers
Gorbachev proposed that legislators should be elected by vote
Many in the West saw Gorbachev’s election reforms as an attempt to end communism
As a last-ditch effort to save the Union, Gorbachev planned to share power with the republics. He also gave market freedoms, religious freedom, and an end to Communist Party’s total power
End of Brezhnev Doctrine
On October, 25, 1989, Gorbachev reversed the Brezhnev Doctrine. This triggered the dissolution of the Eastern Bloc
Gorbachev discarded the Brezhnev Doctrine because the USSR didn’t have the same military strength and the USSR needed trade and tech from the West to stop the economy from collapsing
By the end of 1990 all communist countries in Eastern Europe got rid of the Communist Party. Gorbachev did nothing
Gorbachev was called the first Soviet leader not trying to make a world communist state
Failures of the Communist System
Definition of Communism
Communism: The economic system where all property is owned by the community
It was originated by Marx and pioneered by Lenin. It is a form of socialism with a classless and stateless society
A single party state which seeks fair and equal economic distribution and emphasizes the state over the individual
This would be perfect if humans were without greed
Brezhnev Doctrine
Limited sovereignty of Communist countries
Demonstrated in 1968 when many Easter Bloc countries invaded Czechoslovakia
Began to come to a close when in 1980, Poland wasn't invaded even though there were nationwide strikes
Said that the USSR would use its military to keep socialist countries socialist
The world saw it was over when the US invaded Grenada in 1983
In 1968 the USSR had invaded Czechoslovakia because the government gave the people freedoms of speech, religion, and greater political freedoms
History of the Soviet Union
In the 1960s, the Soviets underwent a massive military buildup
In 1968, the USSR, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and East Germany invaded Czechoslovakia to end Prague Spring (a revolution that expanded freedoms in the country)
USSR lasted 74 years
When Gorbachev came to power in 1985, the USSR was weakening quickly
Due to food and goods shortages, the Soviet people were beginning to doubt the system
Corruption in the USSR was deeply inset as leaders designated the best goods and services for themselves
The disaster at Chernobyl in 1986 lead to increased and pressing calls for independence from the republics in the USSR
The governments reluctance to admit Chernobyl justified talk of independence and showed the government why Glasnost was important
Due to the failing economy, miners in Siberia went on strike
Breakup
After the breakup, Some called the new Russian government “sneg,” Russian for snow. This suggests that the new government wont last
Russian news praised Gorbachev
In March 1990 Lithuania seceded from the USSR
When Lithuania left, they set up a non-Communist government. Gorbachev did not invade but only embargoed all goods to and from the country
In 1990, the Russian Republic said that Russian law was more important than Soviet Law
History of the Cold War
Previous American Policies
Detente
Policy of mutual existence between democracy and communism
Before Reagan, many people hoped to continue to develop a friendly relationship between the USSR and US until communism and democracy could mesh or exist in peace.
MAD
Mutually Assured Distruction
Said that "If you nuke us, we nuke you."
Containment
At the beginning of the Cold War, the US attempted to contain communism while avoiding conflict with the USSR
Examples
Korea
Vietnam
The "Iron Curtain" fell across Europe
Intro and Conclusion
Introduction
“ The Reagan presidency can properly claim the lion’s share of the credit”
Reagan back-story
Came to office in 1981
He saw the Soviets as the #1 threat to the US
Reagan referred to the USSR as an “evil empire”