4. lecture: Ending the Cold War - New D tente 1985 1989

1. 4. lecture: Ending the Cold War - New D�tente 1985�1989 The End of the Cold War 1978-1991 Juhana Aunesluoma Lecturer in Contemporary History Mondays, 29 October- 3 December 2007, 12-14 pm Unioninkatu 35, Lecture room University of Helsinki www.valt.helsinki.fi/blogs/jauneslu/endofcoldwar.htm

2. Today�s lecture the two stories of 1980s Cold War: confrontation and negotiations this lecture discusses the second story new thinking in Soviet foreign policy and the US response Reagan-Gorbachev diplomacy 1985-1988 the contents and goals of the new d�tente European perspectives introducing the debate on the new d�tente

3. Debating the new d�tente Raymond Garthoff US reluctance to go along with new d�tente, the importance of Gorbachev and his genuine conviction to end the arms race and superpower rivarly John Lewis Gaddis, Peter Schweizer Reagan drove the Soviets to change their line; first hard line, then allowing a change through dialogue and negotiation Geir Lundestad do not underestimate the role of the Europeans Archie Brown, Vladislav Zubok: Gorby, Gorby! Brown: the idealistic nature of Gorbachev�s foreign policy

4. Events Geneva summit Nov 1985 first meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev, restoration of dialogue Reykjavik summit Oct 1986 discussions opened on nuclear disarmament Washington summit Dec 1987 INF treaty Gorbachev�s UN address Dec 1988 announcing massive cuts in conventional military forces Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan 1988-89 upheavals begin in Eastern Europe autumn 1989 the Malta summit Dec 1989 �end of the cold war�

5. Explaining foreign policy change economic constraints Soviet relative decline ideational changes new thinking in Moscow, ideological hard-liners in Washington changes in the international system the end of the bipolar structure, the significance of other powers and power centres agency significance of personalities and their interaction outcomes of military conflicts the Afghanistan factor the burden caused by the arms race arms buildup, technological change, negative economic effects

6. Gorbachev�s foreign policy foreign policy the clearest and most consistent part in Gorbachev�s thinking final abandonment of the ideologically driven Soviet foreign policy marxist-leninist notion of international politics was based on class struggle leading to inevitable and mortal conflict Gorbachev introduced a new concept of a conflict free, interdependent international system an ambitious nuclear disarmament strategy unilateral concessions Gorbachev�s goal was to end the Cold War, and revitalize the Soviet Union strategy how to achieve this evolved over time foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze an important ally

7. Motivations what drove Gorbachev? domestic economic constraints? new thinking and ideas? geopolitical and geostrategic challenges from outside? domestic power struggles? new thinking on nuclear weapons? links between the foreign policy and domestic reforms and conditions Garthoff: separate matters most others: connected one way or another

8. Reagan-Gorbatchev diplomacy phases restoration of dialogue 1985-86 opening talks on arms reductions 1986 escalation of d�tente 1987-88 reaping the harvest 1989 issues nuclear arms disarmament talks conventional arms control negotiations the importance of personalities new, critical thinking about nuclear weapons willingness for serious dialogue a complete change of tone in Reagan�s rhetoric in 1984

9. Nuclear and military issues Gorbachev was willing to make unilateral concessions the US drove a hard bargain Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty Dec. 1987 eliminated medium-range missiles in Europe Conventional Forces in Europe treaty (CFE) Nov. 1990 elimination of Cold War military structures Strategic Arms Reduction treaty (START) July 1991 reduced the US nuclear arsenal by 25 % and the Soviet by 30 %

10. The Europeans the attraction of the dynamic model of development in Western Europe economic growth, welfare policies the development of the European community European ostpolitik and bridge-building inviting popular appeals in socialist countries to engage in economic and social reforms, ultimately also political change the diplomatic role of Western European governments between Moscow and Washington Margaret Thatcher, Francois Mitterand, Helmut Kohl, Mauno Koivisto the persistence of 1970s d�tente attitudes among many Europeans, social democrats in particular

11. From Reagan to George H. W. Bush change of president Jan 1989 from the vice-presidency to the oval office at first a more critical and cautious approach towards the Soviet Union thereafter a reactive but careful line socialist regimes collapse one after another in Eastern Europe Gorbachev made most of the policy initiatives Malta summit Dec 1989 important in establishing openly that the Cold War had ended between the superpowers in 1990 focus on the future of Germany

12. Conclusion main emphasis was until 1989 on arms talks and nuclear disarmament establishing dialogue and trust between the superpowers burden of concessions was on the Soviet side the US responded carefully but prudently whether they wanted to transform the international system debatable what did they thought it meant to end the Cold War? new d�tente ran �out of control�, leading to unexpected outcomes upheavals in Eastern Europe 1989 came as a surprise for both sides

13. Further reading Raymond Garthoff: D�tente and Confrontation (1994) Marie-Pierre Rey: ��Europe is our Common Home�: A Study of Gorbachev�s Diplomatic Concept�, Cold War History (2004) Geir Lundestad: ��Imperial Overstretch�, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the End of the Cold War�, Cold War History (2000) Vladislav M. Zubok: �Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War: Perspectives on History and Personality�, Cold War History (2002) Matthew Evangelista, �Norms, Heresthetics, and the End of the Cold War�, Journal of Cold War Studies (2001) Daniel C. Thomas, �Human Rights Ideas, the Demise of Communism, and the End of the Cold War�, Journal of Cold War Studies (2005) Saki Dockrill, The End of the Cold War Era (2005)