Did Reagan win the Cold War? Short presentation for a Seminar of American Foreign Policy, University of Newcastle 2014. The answer is, basically, not by himself.

1. DID REAGAN WIN THE COLD
WAR?
Stefano Basilico
American Foreign Policy 2013 – 2014
Newcastle University

2. PREVIOUS SITUATION AND
REAGAN’S POSITION
Nixon: détente and SALT I agreement
Carter: failure in a peace strategy  SALT II, but also Pershing II
production
Reagan: hard line in the early 80’s
Evil empire speech
Then  Negotiating, but “from strength”

3. COLD WAR TURNING POINTS
Able Archer 83
Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika
Euromissiles Pershing II
Schultz moderate position
Rollercoaster relations

4. Reagan’s military effort
317.4
bln $
Military spending
when Reagan took
office in 1981
427.7
bln $
Military spending
when Reagan left
office in 1989 (110.3
bln $ more)

5. OTHER ACTORS IN THE END
OF COLD WAR
Mikhail Gorbachev
Lech Walesa and Solidarnosc
John Paul II

6. REAGAN AS A SYMBOL
Reagan & Thatcher
Bombastic speeches
Right moment, right place

7. QUESTIONS
Was the cold war won by Reagan, or lost by the
Soviet?
What was the role of the economic crisis in USSR in
its “defeat”?
Strong statements or soft diplomacy: what was
more effective?
What was the real turning point in the end of the
Cold War?
Poland: Soviet’s Achilles heel?
Did the internal politics (elections and advisers)
influence Reagan?