1970s Essay

The competition and increasing awareness on democratic rights did force the Soviets to stand back and make some major policy changes in 1980s. The Soviet Premier of the time Gorbachev tried to set some political and social reforms in the soviet society in order to ease the pressure and help Soviets to continue to survive in the international arena. Moreover, the Soviets did not only make shifts in their internal policies but also in their foreign policy understanding as well. For instance withdrawal from Afghanistan, signing of various nuclear deterrence agreements with multi parties including the US are some of the key changes that occurred in the 1980s. However, the reforms of Gorbachev did not prevent the Soviets to stop its collapse and eventually after a series of events in 1991 the Soviet Union formally announced its dissolution[7].

Thesis: Although NATO provided assistance in containing the spread of communism, and its member countries applied economic pressure on the Soviet Union, neither NATO nor President Reagan should be solely credited with causing the fall of the Soviet Union and thus the end of the Cold War. Instead, it was a combination of the tough Reagan administration policies and NATO’s threatening military armory along with grave economic problems within the Soviet Union that ultimately brought the end to the Cold War.

Reagan became president in 1981, which means that he was president of the U.S. during a time in which the Cold War began to draw to a close. (Fischer, 1997, p.477). Whereas his predecessors used détente, a more relaxed approach in order to reduce tension between the U.S. and USSR, Reagan and his advisers rejected this strategy (Authors, People and a Nation, p.833). This led to a turning point in the Cold War. Even though the Cold War ended in 1991, two years after Reagan’s presidency, Reagan is still known to have made a huge influence on ending the Cold War. This essay will investigate his actions and how they might have influenced the ending of the Cold War, by looking at how Reagan expressed his distrust toward the Soviet Union and communism, the ways in which Reagan expanded the arms race in order to bankrupt the USSR and other ways in which he tried to sabotage the Soviet economy, but also

Politics in the U.S. during the 1980’s were exciting. Much like everything else during this decade, politics were changing and making a new way for economic development and social construct. Policy in the 1980’s were both huge on foreign policy, and domestic development. The cold war, being the main concern with foreign policy, consisted of Communism versus Democracy, or Socialism versus Capitalism. President Reagan being the face of America and our Commander and Chief, created “Reaganomics,” which fought for small Government, and utilized Government spending in a way that would effectively establish National Security as well as make a name for himself as being known as one of the most popular presidents in United State’s history. Though these issues took place some thirty years ago, it is safe to say that the tribulations we faced as a nation in the eighties have directly affected society in 2015.

Life in America began to undergo great economic and social changes during the 1980s under the Reagan Administration. During this period of time, stagflation began to distress the US economy, leaving millions of Americans to fall victim to homelessness and poverty. The unemployment rate had reached its highest peak since the Great Depression, creating a major crisis for low-income families and other individuals concerning living conditions. The introduction of Reaganism into society primarily focused on reducing the growth of government spending through the modulation of federal income tax and reduction of government regulation to diminish inflation. Despite all attempts for economic recovery, the US struggled to bounce back from the 1970s recession and in time led to the significant rise in urban poverty. Uniquely, an American film director from the 1980s by the name of John Carpenter produced a science-fiction film, They Live, that served as a powerful and eye-opening depiction of his own personal views of Reaganism (Reaganomics). He essentially depicts our world to be controlled by powerful elites who have created a repressive society that we are unwilling brought to live and build in. He also clarifies how the majority of Americans during the 1980s were focused primarily on materialism and how an individual’s “success” was measured by the amount of money they possessed. Carpenter’s major criticisms of 1980s America included the impact of consumerism in America as well as

“War what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!” This message continually echoed among the American public during the 1970s, emphasizing its voice of protest against the Vietnam War. In contrast with the rise of counterculture in the 1960s, the 1970s saw the rise of conservatism; the desire to revert back to America’s traditional social and religious values. During this time Americans endured a loss of confidence from an unstable economy, an energy crisis, and ongoing action in Vietnam, and Americans thought that conservatism would provide stability. In the 1970s, Americans saw the rise of Motown in the music industry, which fit the mold of conservatism. Protest music became popular as a response to the Vietnam War, attracting Vietnam veterans as well as the younger

During the Cold war era, the nations of Western Europe achieved economic prosperity and maintained independent, liberal democratic governments.

In a time of political chaos, numerous approaches to contending with the USSR were offered by various politicians, yet “the man who got things right from the start was, at first glance, an unlikely statesman… Through a combination of vision, tenacity, patience, and improvisational skill, he produced what Henry Kissinger terms ‘the most stunning diplomatic feat of the modern era…’ As Margaret Thatcher put it, ‘Ronald Reagan won the Cold War without firing a shot’” (D’Souza). Henry Kissinger was an “old nemesis” of Reagan, yet even he “observed that while it was Bush who presided over the final disintegration of the Soviet empire, ‘it was Ronald Reagan's Presidency which marked the turning point.’ [Additionally,] Cardinal Casaroli, the Vatican secretary of state, remarked publicly that the Reagan military buildup, which he had opposed at the time, had led to the collapse of Communism” (D’Souza). The great quantity of figures who have acknowledged the intelligence Reagan’s actions validates these actions as such. Many democratic opponents argued that “the West should ingratiate itself with the Soviet Union by pursuing ‘the stuffed-goose option—that is, providing them with all the grain and consumer goods they need.’ If Reagan had taken this advice when it was offered in 1982, the Soviet empire

One of Reagan’s main concerns was the Soviet Union. Reagan stated, “The march of freedom and democracy...will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history ...”12 All through his term he worked to collapse the Union, to end the Cold War, and to tear down the Berlin Wall. Margaret Thatcher commented that “Ronald Reagan won the Cold War without firing a shot”.10 Reagan set up the collapse of the Soviet Union in a couple of ways. First, he put more funds into the U.S. military, forcing the Soviets to do the same.11 second, he was confident that the U.S.S.R was crumbling and failing even when those around him believed that Communism was strong. Third, he was not intimidated by the Soviets and, while he respectfully met and listened to Gorbachev, he was not wavering and was determined. Even though many factors contributed to the fall of Communism, Reagan sped the process up and the Union officially fell apart in

How did the events from the later 1960’s and through the 1970’s contribute to cynicism and mistrust toward the nation’s leaders, especially those in politics?

Fear, afraid and something new are words that many people think of when they hear the word change. Many people are afraid of change and fear the unknown and when given the opportunity for change they dismiss it, but change is one of the most important factors, especially in the development of a country. Attempts at change whether they fail or not, is important because they provide as learning experiences for the country and can help them develop further. The 1980s was a decade full of opportunities for change in Canada and taught many the importance of taking chances, using the opportunity when given and learning from failure. The 1980s is the most important and influential decade in Canadian history. The 1980s contributed to change that can

Discrimination among the black community has come in many different forms such as inequality in schools, homes, jobs, and healthcare. Many may wonder where the root of the problem exists. Many years ago during slavery, White people knew that they had to justify slavery and to keep the Black people in a subordinate state. Politics is the foundation that would justify the rules, laws, or amendments against Blacks. These political issues played a part in black families during the 1970’s.

Domestic issues overtook the United States in the 1970s. First and foremost, it seemed everyone was fighting for cause, the long-drawn battles seemed to stall. Conservative activists were concerned that the Equal Rights Amendment would blur traditional gender roles and prolonged the discrimination against women. After fighting and campaigning for years, feminists became disheartened about their plight. Legalization of abortion upset numerous Americans, so much so, that we are still fighting about it 45 years later.

Republican dominance of American politics in the 1980s was led by President Reagan and the New Right. The New Right consisted of cultural conservatives who were not particularly in favor of federal family planning agendas. Reagan had selected many people from the New Right to be part of his cabinet. Since President Reagan had elected people from the New Right all of them Republicans to be part of his cabinet this caused serious division between them and the Democrats within Congress. (Smith, Lecture Notes week, 7). In addition, during the 1980s and 1990s many Republican candidates tried to influence white middle-class voters to believe that Democrats were only concerned with minorities, not the average middle-class white person. President Reagan

relations with the West in the form of the Marshall plan nor the lack of