What this lesson teaches
I can judge which reasons mattered most in bringing the Cold War to an end in 1989 to 1991.
Syllabus K336, End of the Cold War, Learning Outcomes. Evaluate the reasons for the end of the Cold War.
Make a guess
In 1983 Reagan announced SDI, a plan to shoot down nuclear missiles. It never became a working shield. Do you think it still affected Soviet choices?
- No, a plan that did not work could not change Soviet decisions.
- Yes, because matching it would cost the USSR a great deal.
- Yes, because the USSR had to stop building missiles altogether.
Show the answer
Yes, because matching it would cost the USSR a great deal.
Soviet leaders feared SDI could make their missiles useless. That raised the cost of competing and pushed them towards deals.
President Reagan's arms build-up and the SDI plan raised the cost of competing, which pushed the USSR towards arms deals.
The USA had a bigger, more flexible economy and strong technology. President Ronald Reagan raised defence spending and took a tough line. Soviet leaders faced a hard choice. They could spend more to keep up, or seek deals to cut the cost. The arms race was not free for the USA either, which faced recession and budget pressures.
In 1983, Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). It was research into shooting down nuclear missiles in flight. Soviet leaders feared it could make their own missiles useless. Matching it would cost a lot. SDI was only research, never a working shield. But it still added pressure.
Pressure was not the whole story. It mattered alongside Soviet economic weakness and the choices of Soviet leaders. Reagan also negotiated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1987, they signed the INF Treaty, which removed a whole class of nuclear missiles.
- Reagan
- US president who raised defence spending.
- SDI, 1983
- Research into shooting down missiles; never a working shield.
- INF Treaty, 1987
- Removed a class of nuclear missiles.
Worked example: A plan can matter before it works
Explain how SDI could matter even though it never became a full shield.
- Soviet leaders fear SDI might one day block their missiles.
- Matching it would need costly research and new weapons.
- The Soviet economy is already weak, so talks become more attractive.
Watch out for this
SDI could not affect Soviet choices because it did not work.
Soviet leaders reacted to what SDI might become. The fear of its cost added pressure.
Check your understanding
Why did SDI worry Soviet leaders?
- It forced the USSR to leave the Warsaw Pact and cut its army.
- It might weaken their missiles and would be very costly to match.
- It was already a working shield over the USA, so Soviet missiles were useless.
Show the answer
It might weaken their missiles and would be very costly to match.
Yes. The threat of cost mattered even though SDI was only research.
Check your understanding
Why did Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative worry Soviet leaders?
- It was already a working missile shield that could stop a full Soviet attack.
- It was a treaty that limited the number of Soviet nuclear weapons.
- Matching it would be costly for a struggling economy, and it might weaken their deterrent.
Show the answer
Matching it would be costly for a struggling economy, and it might weaken their deterrent.
SDI added pressure even though it was only research.