Was the missile defence system a major factor in winning/ending the cold war?

Question

From my understanding, it was rather the relationship between Reagan and Gorbachev, getting along so well, depsite the hardliners on both side's defense industries trying to justify an increased arm race and policy of containment.

Answer 1

SDI was the deciding factor in the collapse of the USSR and the end of the Cold War. Reagan and Thatcher had forced to Soviets into a position where they had to allocate nearly 50% of their natural resources and 35% of their annual budget to defense spending just to keep up with the US and UK which each spent less than 6%. Already overextended, the Soviets knew that they could not compete with Western technological advances so they increased production of existing weapons systems to massively outnumber those conventional weapons of the West and as for unconventional weapons, they simply built them bigger. But Reagan grew tired of Soviet violations of existing treaty obligations and decided that the time was right to attempt a final solution. He authorized an expenditure of approximately $3.5million on a publicity campaign which targeted the US media, foreign media and specifically the Soviet press. The product being promoted was a supposed “leak” of US development of a Strategic Defence System that was capable of destroying ballistic missiles in flight. The key was that everyone had to believe that the technology was already in the testing phases and ready for deployment. Only problem is that it didn’t actually exist. It was merely a propaganda initiative aimed at the Soviets. But it worked. Most American thought it was real. The US media attacked it with vigour and the Soviets were beside themselves with anger and angst. Gorbachev accepted Reagan’s proposal to meet once again on the subject of arms reduction. An indication of how seriously the Soviets took SDI is in the fact that Gorbachev agreed to every one of Reagan’s demands without the slightest modification. But Gorbachev had just a single demand of his own: the US must abandon SDI. Regan refused and the Reykjavik summit ended immediately.

The Soviets knew that if the West was able to destroy its missiles in flight, there was no longer a balance of power in the Cold War. The West now had an edge. Many Soviet Generals agitated for a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the West as a result. Gorbachev refused and the USSR ultimately collapsed.

There is no way to discount the importance of SDI in the collapse of the USSR. No intellectually honest person would even attempt to do so.

Answer 2

Yes, and no! This is not an as silly as it sounds, the main reason for the Soviet collapse was that financially, they couldn't match the 'free worlds' military spending, and the Roubles value went under! The Soviet Union just went broke! And the time was right! You had two world leaders, Gorbachev and Reagan, And they were both pragmatists! Gorby and his supporters saw the total failure of 'communism' and seized the 'main chance' to get rid of it! Ronny, who was at that time still compos mentus, proved himself to be a visionary President, and not the dill we all thought he was! He ignored the more paranoid republicans, and the raving Margaret Thatcher! And gave total support to Gorbachev and helped him to bring about, effectively, the downfall of a system that had been a failure from the start by being paramount in 'arranging' IMF loans for Russia to bail them out of their massive debt! President Reagan has never been given the credit he truly deserved for his part in the collapse of 'communism' The so called 'Star Wars defensive system' had very little to do with it! The cold war? Oh! Ronny won it hands down!

Answer 3

The quick version could be:

The US economy, even with it's ups and downs, continued to provide cash flow for weapons. While we were putting up Wal Marts, Target, Costco, Kmart, Circuit City etc they stood in line to get a chicken. Their people had no motivation.

Even during the VietNam war they stayed on their side of the fence in Europe. While we were understaffed in Germany we had tactical nukes to destroy their Armor Divisions. They had a 10 to 1 advantage with tanks and stayed back. Those same warheads would also be deployed by Sappers to blow big chunks of infrastructure thru the Fulda Gap. The big missiles assured mutual destruction. The small stuff assured destruction of their conventional force.

By the time Reagan took office and rebuilt what had slipped away after VietNam their economy was just about zapped. Reagan's build up was the straw that broke the camels back.

SSG US Army 73-82

Answer 4

There was (and is) no viable missile defense system. However, the Soviet Union disbanded due to basically being out-produced by the US and NATO countries. The Soviet Union even with it's puppet states could not keep up with the USA's ever-increasing arsenal of high-tech weapons.

That being said, currently Russia and China are doing pretty darn good economically and we better be on our toes....

Answer 5

It was a bone of contention but it was never actually built! It depends on how you define major factor. They argued about it but Reagan lied when he said we had the technology to build "Star wars" defense.

Answer 6

The U.S. outspent the Soviets and their economy collapsed. Reagan won a "war" without even pressing the button.

Answer 7

What missle defense system?

You mean that Star Wars fantasy that existed only in the dark coridors of Reagan's demented mind?

Uh, no. No it did not.

Answer 8

Regan's military buildup was responsible for bring down the Soviet Union. They could not keep up because of their econmic system.

Answer 9

Who's missile defense system?

Answer 10

Hell no. Neither did Reagan. The Russians simply over extended themselves and their economy failed.