ENDOFCOLDWAR(FIRSTDRAFTbadlydone)

FWhowasresponsibleforendofcoldwar?Timeline=19801989
A1.themassesendedthecoldwar(fixed),2.didtheleadersplayedaroleinendingcoldwar?
(questionable)
CcriteriaforECW=MutualCooperationbetweensuperpowers,Decreasedcompetitionforspheresof
influence,DisappearanceofopposingblocsinEurope
E
1. Inthe1980s,publicsupportfornuclearweaponfreeze,evidentlyreflectedinthe750
000strongrallyatNewYork'sCentralparkin12June,1982.IntenseoppositiontoStrategic
DefenceInitiative(SDI)amongscientistsandCongress.Domesticpressurehasrealimpacton
Reagan'spolicies,whosepolicieslaterbecamemoreconciliary.

1. ThepersistentmovementsanddemonstrationsbythepeopleunderUSSR'ssphereof
influencethatultimatelybroughtdowntherepressiveregimesofcommunismand
'nuclearism'.

1. SuperpowersmutualwillingnessformilitarydecreaseINF1987Treaty

T
Theendofcoldwarcouldbepartlyattributedtovariousactionstakenbythepeopleunderthe
spheresofinfluencesofthesuperpowernations,ofwhicharguablypromotedmutualcooperation
betweentheirleadersandseemedtoresultinthecollapseofthetwoopposingblocsinEurope.Yet,
consideringthegreaterandmoretangibleeffectsarisingfromimplementationofthevariousactions
andpoliciesbytheleadersofUSSRandUSA,andtakingintoaccountthattheseriesofevents
followingtotheendofColdwarhadbeenstartedbythedecisionsmadebytheleaders,toagreater
extent,itwasthepivotalroleplayedbytheleadersthatendedthecoldwar,notthemasses.Ithad
beenultimatelythedecisionsoftheleadersthatdirectlyledtomutualcooperationbetweenthem
anddissolutionofthecompetitionforspheresofinfluencesintheworld,aswellbroughtaboutthe
disintegrationofopposingblocsinEurope.

1. Indeed,itappearedthatthevariousmovementsundertakenbythemasseslivinginthe
spheresofinfluenceofUSAthatputpressureonReaganadministrationtoformmutual
cooperationbetweenthesuperpowerleadersandtherefore,ledtotheendofthecoldwar.

1. Additionally,thepersistentmovementsanddemonstrationsbythepeopleunderUSSR's
sphereofinfluencethatultimatelybroughtdowntherepressiveregimesofcommunismand
'nuclearism'hadreflectedthedisappearanceofopposingblocsinEurope,andtherefore
reflectedtheendofthecoldwar.

1. Ontheotherhand,Gorbachev'sshorttermpoliticalandeconomicpolicieshadaidedin
reconcilingeconomic,ideologicalandmilitarydifferencesandtensionsbetweentheUSSRand
theUSA,throughinitiatingmutualcooperationbetweenthesuperpowers,diminishing

competitionforspheresofinfluenceintheworldaswellascatalysedthedisappearanceof
opposingblocsinEurope.

1. Reagan'ssecondtermpoliciesexpressedhiswillingnesstoworkwithGorbachevtoreduce
nuclearweaponsandeaseColdWartensionsthatconcludedthemutualcooperation
betweenthemthateventuallyledtotheendofcoldwar.

1. Reagansshorttermpoliciesnamelythethreeprongedapproach,delayedtheCold

WarduetotherelentlessapplicationoftheWestsmilitarysuperiorityanddynamismof
itseconomicsystem,thatrestartedarmsraceandtensionsbetweenthesuperpowers
thatimpededmutualcooperation.

Indeed,itappearedthatthevariousmovementsundertakenbythemasseslivinginthespheresof
influenceofUSAthatputpressureonReaganadministrationtoformmutualcooperationbetween
thesuperpowerleadersandtherefore,ledtotheendofthecoldwar.Inthe1980s,therewasstrong
oppositiontonuclearweaponsandparticularlydeploymentofINFweaponsamongtheUSpublic.This
waspartlyduetoeconomicproblemscontributedbythelargemilitaryspendingfromReagan's
policies,whichwasfeltbytheUSpublictobeasthreateningascommunism.Alargemajoritypushed
foranuclearweaponfreeze,evidentlyreflectedinthe750000strongrallyatNewYork'sCentralpark
in12June,1982,wheremanyfromdiversebackgrounds,intermsofreligionsandprofession,
ferventlyopposedtothedeploymentoftheMXmissiles.Additionally,therewasintenseoppositionto
StrategicDefenceInitiative(SDI)amongscientistsandCongress.Thepublicandcongressional
oppositiontoPresidentReagan'scentralAmericanpolicyplacedimmensepressuredReaganandhis
government,suchastotangiblyaffecttheReaganadmintonegotiatewithUSSRsoastoappeasethe
people.Thisiscanbeseeninthemouldingofthe'ZeroOption'proposal,stalematingoftheMX
missile,andlimitationsonSDIfunding,aswellasahaltinovertmilitaryinterventioninCentral
America,whichultimatelyledtomutualcooperationbetweentheleadersofUSSRandUSA,aswellas
ledtothedisappearanceofcompetitionforspheresofinfluencesandthetwoopposingblocsinthe
world,resultingintheendofcoldwar.

Additionally,thepersistentmovementsanddemonstrationsbythepeopleunderUSSR'ssphereof
influencethatultimatelybroughtdowntherepressiveregimesofcommunismand'nuclearism'had
reflectedthedisappearanceofopposingblocsinEurope,andthereforereflectedtheendofthecold
war.Asaresultofdtente,EasternEuropeansgainedexposuretotheWesterncultureandideasthat
promoteddiversityandfreedom,ofwhichsubvertedSoviet'svision.Gradually,EasternEuropeans
sawdisagreementswiththevariouscommunistpoliciesandgrewdisgruntledwiththeireconomic
plightseeingtheirresourcescommittedtothewar.Suchdissentgaverisetothedesirefor
selfdeterminationamongthemasses,triggeringaseriesofnonviolentrevolutionsinEasternEurope

in1989,suchastheSolidarityMovementinPolandandtheVelvetRevolutioninCzechoslovakia,
causinginstabilityandputtingpressureontheSovietgovernmenttoreformtheirexistingpoliciesto
appeasethegeneralsentiments.ThisultimatelyresultedwiththedissolutionofCOMECONand
WarsawPact,henceshowingthedisappearanceofthetwoopposingblocsinEuropethatpartly
markedtheendoftheColdwar,andtherefore,theendofcoldwarappearedtobeattributedtothe
masses.

Ontheotherhand,Gorbachev'sshorttermpoliticalandeconomicpolicieshadaidedinreconciling
economic,ideologicalandmilitarydifferencesandtensionsbetweentheUSSRandtheUSA.The
decreaseinsuchtensionshadultimatelyledtotheendofColdwar,asaresultofthearisingmutual
cooperationbetweenthesuperpowers,thediminishingcompetitionforspheresofinfluenceinthe
worldaswellasthedisappearanceoftwoopposingblocsinEurope.