HIST 410N WEEK 6: THE NOT SO COLD WAR DISCUSSION

HIST 410N WEEK 6: THE NOT SO COLD WAR DISCUSSION – It would be easy to dismiss the Cold War simply as proof that Capitalism was a better theory than Communism. Easy, but not the whole story. In order for Communism to be relegated to the dustbin of history, it first had to be proven that its struggle against Capitalism unecessary and thus irrelevant. How do the US and the USSR close the gap in the last quarter of the 20th Century to allow Communism to go out with a whimper and not a bang?

Class, I look forward to your thought on this. One thing we might consider discussing here is the role that Reagan and Gorbachev played in the 1980s. Thoughts? Did they have anything to do with allowing Communism to go out with a whimper and not a bang?

HIST 410N WEEK 6: THE NOT SO COLD WAR DISCUSSION  SAMPLE

I believe that Gorbachev and Reagan both deserve credit for their historic achievements in ending communism. Gorbachev drastically changed Soviet foreign policy because he realized that the Soviet Union could not succeed economically if it continued to devote its budget to military spending.  Despite what people felt about Reagan as a President, he was an extraordinary negotiator and diplomat.  His willingness to reach across the table and create a relationship with Gorbachev opened the door for negotiations.  He did not refer to Gorbachev as an evil Soviet leader but as a foreign leader that deserved respect.  In 1988, Gorbachev denounced the Soviet concept of international class struggle, stated that he would no longer enforce the Brezhnev Doctrine, and resolved to reduce Soviet military in Eastern Europe.  Gorbachev essentially let go of power to benefit his country and Eastern Europe, a trait rarely seen in a politician anymore.