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The Cold War 1945–1991
Renewal and end of the Cold War
Soviet attitudes and policies under Gorbachev
Paul Brown
Camden High School
Outcomes
Students:
H1.1 describe the role of key features, issues, individuals, groups and events of selected twentieth-century studies
H1.2 analyse and evaluate the role of key features, issues, individuals, groups and events of selected twentieth-century studies
Extract from Modern History Stage 6 Syllabus Board of Studies NSW 2004.
Key features and issues
- Changing policies, strategies and responses to the Cold War
From this tutorial you will learn about the Renewal and end of the Cold War and Soviet attitudes and policies under Gorbachev.
Mikhail Gorbachev
In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Communist Party. He was a 54-year old agricultural specialist with little formal experience in foreign affairs. Gorbachev advocated a policy of “glasnost” or “openness” which described the new critical approach to the old Soviet system of government. He also adopted the policy of “perestroika” or “restructuring” which indicated that major changes needed to made in the Soviet Union. With Gorbachev, Reagan began to make concessions. He concluded a treaty that eliminated INF (Intermediate range Nuclear Forces) and began negotiations on START, a strategic arms reduction treaty.
In foreign policy Gorbachev:
- Put less emphasis on the role of the military
- Abandoned the traditional Soviet aim of military parity with the United States
- Abandoned the claim to a protective chain of satellite nations in Eastern Europe
- Reversed the Brezhnev doctrine of military intervention in Communist countries
- Cut the Soviet defence budget
- Withdrew 115,000 Soviet troops from Afghanistan
- Unilaterally pulled 500,000 Soviet troops and 10,000 tanks out of Europe
- Agreed to let a unified Germany join NATO
- Agreed with the US to destroy short-range and medium-range nuclear weapons
- Stimulated settlements of conflicts in Angola, Namibia, Cambodia
For details on their approach to the Cold War see Disarmament agreements 1987–1991 on this site.
Reagan and Gorbachev Summit 1985
Questions to consider:
- To what extent were Soviet attitudes and policies under Gorbachev responsible for ending the Cold War?
- Assess the impact of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on the development of the Cold War in the period 1979–1991.
Bibliography
McDougall, Derek. Soviet-American Relations Since the 1940s, Hodder & Stockton, Melbourne, 1989.
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