what was the real reason for us winning the cold war?

Question

Did Ronald Reagan "win" the Cold War? Or, was there something inherently flawed in Soviet-styled communism that doomed the USSR from the beginning?

Answer 1

It was the latter. Ronald Reagan had little or nothing to do with the ending of the cold war.

here are some other reasons for the ending of the cold war:

Gorbachev's reforms led many soviets citizens to demand more freedoms and an immediate move to capitalism.

Throughout the late 80's there eastern European nations had movements against their Communist governments. The Soviet Union did not stop them.

Gorbachev and President Bush held a summit meeting at Malta and negotiated important reductions in intermediate range nuclear weapons.

Late in 1989 there was a coup in the Soviet Union. Hard line soviet leaders held Gorbachev hostage. He was "rescued by Boris Yeltsin. The Berlin Wall came down and the Cold War was over.

The Soviet Union broke up into many smaller ethnic nationalities. Some remained together in a loose confederation called the "Russian Confederation." Boris Yeltsin became the Premier of Russia, a capitalist country with a more or less democratic form of government.

The Soviet Union no longer existed and thus no longer controlled Eastern Europe. In 1990 West Germany and East Germany unified.

Answer 2

Here is an answer that you will not see written down in the history books. It was told to me by a person that was there and was no real dummy.
Before Gorbachev's term The USSR had I think 3 short term leaders and each of these leaders had their personal version of how the country should be ran. In a few short years they did some extreme changes, stuff like tearing out their wheat crops and ordering the nation to grow corn or whatever it was. That leader passed on and the next didn't care for corn, but figured Volka rashions would solve the nations problems. The last short term guy also had his single bugaboo about employee attendance.
From what I'm told is before this most of the people truly supported the government and the country's goals but these short term leaders all took something very personal away from the people. Add that to the fact that by time the 80's rolled around the USSR could no longer keep it's people in a vaccume. With an ever increasing commucation ability and seeing more of how the rest of the world was living many of the population was starting to thing about a better life. Before this the USSR only contracted Hollywood to make them Gangster type movies that slowed a lot of killing and Americans living in poverty.
So by time Gorbachev came to power many of the people were already looking for a new system in the government. More and more of the population was sitting on their hands and letting others do the work. Gorbachev was facing work slowdowns and silent protest because of the single mindedness of the leaders before him. To stay in power and in an attempt to gain favor and support from the population Gorbachev started allowing more freedom for people to relocate and to take up resident status in the big cities. (Remember all that great health care and social services that people hold up the USSR for as a model, that was great for the people that lived in the cities but the country folk got little in the scope of these services.)
At this point all heck broke lose, country people, with lower educations not only start flooding into the cities but they also wanted jobs, places to live, health care and so on. Oh yea and they wanted to run things, government stuff and alike.
(Revolt surpressed but building)
Not to take anything away from Ronald Reagan, because timing is everything and his timing was perfect for the events as they were happening.

In baseball terms: same pitcher and batter with the same pitch and the same swing. The batter swings early or late and he's out. Perfect timing home run.

Answer 3

The United States would have been unable to stop the Soviet Army in Europe with conventional weapons and would have to use "Tactical" Nuclear weapons. After that it all goes downhill, Civilization as you know would be gone by the end of a day. Maybe in the early sixties, the United States might have won. Back then we squadrons of B-52s armed with nuclear weapons patrolling the edge of Soviet Air Space 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After that it was mutually assured destruction with triple redundant I.C.B.M.s

Answer 4

I would say both. And sometimes I think Putin would bring the cold war back out of storage.

Answer 5

A combination of many things. Reagan mostly plated a game of "Chicken" with them and the Russians backed down.

Chi...A Neocon rewrite? Dude I was there. you are funny tonight...

Answer 6

No one 'won' the cold war, that's neocon propaganda.
The cold war was ended by Gorbachev, and 2 words: glassnost, and perestroika.

Answer 7

Reagan won the cold-war by bankrupting the Soviet Union.

He outspent them until the collapsed.

Just what Iraq is trying to do to us.

Answer 8

Reagan's plan was the main reason. However, I believe it was the world's hatred of their ways that did a small part in their demise. Reagan's plan to make them outspend us in the arms race was the final dagger.

Answer 9

Courage!

Intelligence!

Answer 10

The Taliban bankrupted the U.S.S.R. with their 12 year war. Russia fell apart, they had to open their country they were broke.