Why do people often credit Reagan with ending the Cold War? Could it possibly have had anything to do with....

Question

the fact that the USSR was spending over half of its entire fiscal budget on their military?

Reagan can be credited with encouraging an arms race and proliferating military spending in both the US and USSR, but I think people should reconsider the importance of his "Tear this wall down" speech concerning the Cold War.

As more of a liberal than anything else, I acknowledge the role Reagan and his administration played in bringing an end to the Cold War. However, to give all credit to him and overlook the importance of the financial irresponsibility of the Soviets is to make an err concerning history.

Any thoughts?

I'm not a worshiper of Clinton, or Gore for that matter.

Dude Dance - I'm not a "libturd," but you can label me if you want. I don't consider myself a liberal, just my ideals align more with liberals than anything else. It can be argued as to how the effects of communism play out in the long run (consider modern China), but it all depends on the intricacies of a country's internal policies, spending, and economic trade relationships. China seems to have gotten the best of both worlds. However, I don't think it will last forever and is doomed to repeat the USSR, but for different reasons than obese military spending.

I appreciate your points.

Oh I forgot to mention - I'm not a "kid," I was born in the 70's.

Answer 1

Okay - I am too a liberal (very liberal in my mind), and I credit Reagan with bringing the Cold War to a close FASTER than it would had happened otherwise. (Although, I would like to mention that I agree with very few of his other policies).

He encouraged military spending, like you said, which sped up the inevitable collapse of the USSR. They were spending outside their means to keep up with us, and the Reagan admin encouraged this, knowing that our economy could cope with it, but theirs couldnt.

Not all credit should be given to him... like most instances in history, it is far more complicated than one person... but if I was to sum up the reasons for the USSR collapse in a short paragraph - Reagan would be the only US name mentioned in it. But it goes far, far beyond that if the reason is expanded to the length of a book - the Soviet Admin would be at fault, the world economy, the progress of technology, others in the US political spectrum, the actual structure of the Soviet system, etc....

The "Tear down this wall" speech did nothing to end the USSR, but in hindsight, it is significant, since it did fall. If the USSR ended, but the wall stayed - then we would barely remember the speech. It become more symblic after the Cold War as a way of condensing history.

We only hear history from our point of view, and that is that the US pressured the USSR to spend more. The Russians may think differently (i dont know), but may put more blame on the administrators of their time for not spending wisely. But look at it from the USSR perspective - they couldnt NOT spend more on the military - it was the only area that they resonably could keep up with the US on. There tech, economy, etc couldnt keep pace - so might as well keep the status quo on the military. They made these decisions day to day and didnt want to upset their superiors, and instead fed them bad info on the real situation on the ground (telling them what they wanted to hear).

In conclusion - Reagan may not have won the day by himself, but history will simplify the real situation and give it to him.

Answer 2

Reagan used diplomatic , Military and economic pressure on the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev introduced perestroika and the glasnost reforms they collapsed in 1991, and the race for star wars did not help the Soviets either they could not compete, before Reagan the Soviet already had a bad economy. Our Congress would not let Reagan proceed with Star wars which is so sad, we would have had protection from missiles coming from other countries. Remember when Reagan told Gorbachev to tear down this wall, he did 2 years later, and Germany was united. Reagan didn't take any crap. He was a leader he did not lead from behind as Obama is doing, I have never heard of such a stupid thing leading from behind, and the American people let him get away with it, the mans an idiot.

Answer 3

No one person can take or be given all the credit (we'll save that for Al Gore and the Internet and saving the planet, too).

However, the Soviets would clearly not have been afraid of a p**** like Carter or Mondale. They didnt think RR was f'ing around.

Actually it was "Mr. Gorbachov [sp?], tear down this wall." And I'm not sure what you mean by the importance should be reconsidered. Reconsidered how, why, in what sense?

In short, the Soviet Empire didn't fall, it was pushed.

Gil - please show a fed budget with 50%+ to military - this is a common liberal notion, but not true. 50%+ goes to entitlement programs, about 20% to defense.

Answer 4

Every President had a role in winning this war. Lets not forget JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Berlin Airlift, he stood toe to toe with the Soviets and we almost did go to war. Nixon and Carter also had the SALT treaties, a calming affect that led to greater acceptance of each other. Then it all came crashing down during Reagan's presidency, largely due to the Soviets own internal problems.

Answer 5

watch the movie "Miracle" so you can remember the state of the US in the late 70's BEFORE Reagan came into the scene:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349825/

....gas lines to fill up your car, ...hostages in Iran,....the USSR "on the march", from Afghanistan to South America to Africa....we were loosing the Cold War kid...don't you people remember...? right,... most of you weren't even born then...!

..,then Reagan came into power, and made it "cool" for Americans to feel good about our country again, called the USSR for what they were an "Evil Empire", turn around the economy, started an arms race he knew the Soviet system/economy could NOT survive, and won the Cold War!

simple!

I had the privilege of serving during those years in the military, and have been ever since, close to retirement now....I remember!

so don't let anyone tell you otherwise kiddies...

Answer 6

NO!! He did in fact help end the Cold war. How?? By having middle eastern men trained by our CIA ect. Russia went bankrupt fighting in the middle east.

NO he has a big part in ending the cold war. He sowed the seeds that led to 9/11. One of the middle eastern men was BIN LADIN!!!!

Answer 7

The budget wouldve never "did them in" had Reagan not forced them into an arms race.

Just face it guys. Reagan ended the Cold War.

Answer 8

The reason that the Soviets spent themselves into bankruptcy was the Reagan policies. Thus, he deserves full credit for knocking over their tower of blocks.

Answer 9

The civil wars within the USSR made them fall.

Czechoslovakia and Hungry fought to break away from the USSR forcing them to fight, internally, on two fronts. Reagan simply made Raytheon and the like rich with tax payer money while cutting the military via his "early out" program.

Often, people with limited knowledge about other nations are the first ones to support ventures that lead to terrible consequences.

Answer 10

The communists ended the cold war. The USSR dissolved so that the US would think they won. It also helped them in the political arena... Free trade no longer embargoed all that good stuff. The commies are still there and just biding their time untill they take over again... Look at Putin and his flunkies.