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9 - Conciliation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2021

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Summary

Chapter 9 covers 1985, beginning with the election of Mikhail Gorbachev as Soviet leader. It discusses the Soviet “new thinking,” Gorbachev’s desire to implement reform, and his decision to remove Gromyko as foreign minister. For the newly re-elected US president, Gorbachev’s arrival was perfectly timed. Riding a wave of popularity and political strength, Reagan stood by the policy of engagement and moderation. He rejected the advice of hard-liners who persisted in opposing realistic negotiation. Despite his early misgivings, Reagan realized that Gorbachev was a “somewhat different breed” of Soviet leader. The Geneva summit of November 1985 – the first meeting of a US and Soviet leader in six and a half years – marked the end of the Second Cold War. Although no agreement on arms control emerged, the meeting set a new tone for US–Soviet relations. It provided a base for trust between two men with different backgrounds and philosophies. Reagan and Gorbachev viewed the summit as a personal breakthrough. There were many issues to resolve, and Gorbachev’s policies would evolve gradually. But the events of 1985 did much to allay the tension and mutual suspicion between the two nations.

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Chapter
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The Second Cold War
Carter, Reagan, and the Politics of Foreign Policy
, pp. 252 - 282
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Conciliation
  • Aaron Donaghy
  • Book: The Second Cold War
  • Online publication: 22 April 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108937016.010
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  • Conciliation
  • Aaron Donaghy
  • Book: The Second Cold War
  • Online publication: 22 April 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108937016.010
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Conciliation
  • Aaron Donaghy
  • Book: The Second Cold War
  • Online publication: 22 April 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108937016.010
Available formats
×