1. The Cold War Ends

2. Republican Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980.
President Reagan was convinced that the Soviet Union could not be trusted, and that they would settle for anything but worldwide domination.
He referred to the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) as an “evil empire”
President Reagan believed that the Soviets could not survive an arms race.

3. He also believed that a military build-up of the U. S
He also believed that a military build-up of the U.S. would not only increase the nation’s defenses, but that it would bring about the ultimate collapse of communism in the Soviet Union as well.
Reagan poured 1.5 trillion dollars into the nations’ military and initiated the SDI (the Strategic Defense Initiative).
With the SDI Reagan envisioned the development of a satellite shield that could prevent Soviet missiles from ever reaching their target.
Reagan knew the USSR could not afford to compete with this type of program.
He felt the SDI would give him an upper hand with the Soviets.

4. In 1985, a young, progressive leader named Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the USSR.
Gorbachev and Reagan struck up an unlikely friendship, and in 1987 they signed the INF Treaty, which reduced the number of US and Soviet missiles in Europe.
Gorbachev realized that the Soviet Union could not sustain an arms race against the U.S. any longer.
He initiated glasnost, or political openness, and perestroika, or restructuring of the economy to allow limited free enterprise.

5. The collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and its satellite nations was caused by:
Gorbachev’s changes to the Soviet Union’s economy and society
The economic collapse of Communist nations in eastern Europe

6. On November 9, 1989, the East German government announced that people could travel freely to West Berlin.
Germans flocked to the Berlin Wall and began tearing it down with sledgehammers and anything they could find
The wall and the “iron curtain” had come down, and the Cold War was essentially over.
There was a failed coup in the early 90’s that was meant to remove Gorbachev and reverse his new policies
Coup: an attempt by certain members of the government to overthrow those in power

7. The Soviet Union was dissolved a few years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
It had survived less than 80 years
Although he was no longer in office at the time, many credited Ronald Reagan with bringing about the end of the Cold War.