Role of Ronald Reagan in Ending the Cold War

Running head: MODERN HISTORY
Modern History
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1MODERN HISTORY
The purpose of the following essay is to highlight upon one of the most pertinent phases
of the world history. It has been argued throughout the world that the role of Ronald Reagan has
been most critical in ending the cold war. The foreign policy taken up by Reagan as the President
of the United States had been very bold. These policies contributed much to end the cold war and
break down United States of Soviet Russia to several parts. His anti communist approach had
also been very much important as well.1 Apart from that, his expansion of the United States
military system has been quite impressive also.
Ronald Reagan has been ranked as one of the most significant and most popular
presidents of the United States of all time. He has been ranked among the top ten presidents of
the United States along with the persons like Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln,
Thomas Jefferson and others. Reagan had been in the chair of the US president from 1981 to
1989. His only motive was ‘peace through strength’. He believed in the thought that it was very
important to show the USSR their strength.
Critics have often said that Reagan had been very much imperialistic and he was against
the theories of communism. This anti communist approach of his led the way for the
implementation of such policies. His aggressiveness has interpreted him to be a warmonger.
However, these foreign policies and approaches had been supported and backed up by most
conservatives of the country. He went on to implement several interventionist approaches as a
method to confront with USSR in the cold war.
1 Davis, Lynn Etheridge. The Cold War Begins: Soviet-American Conflict Over East Europe. Vol. 1255. Princeton
University Press, 2015.

2MODERN HISTORY
As per the records of history, United States had offered logistical and financial support to
all the powers that confronted against the communist powers in the central part of Europe. It was
very clear that he took a hard stand against the socialist powers in Europe. Three countries were
under the communist rule during that time.2 These countries were Nicaragua, Angola and
Afghanistan. Ronald Reagan was very much active in helping anti-communist countries. Thus, it
was very clear that his stand against the communist powers was very much staunch. United
States were very much confident that they would be able to outdo the Soviet powers by using
superior technology. They were also very much intent on building a very powerful military force.
This was one of the most crucial factor to gain the power. The Cold War between USA and
USSR resulted in some proxy wars. Some of these proxy wars were the Vietnam War and
Korean War.
It is also very important to note that the United States was keen to make a strong
statement in this cold war through their superiority in military powers. He was ready to
compromise with the USSR but he would only do it if USA was in an advantageous position
regarding military strength. Reagan shifted his focus on spending more money to improve the
defense and security systems of the country. Therefore, it became inevitable that United States
was coming up as the sole superpower by ending the Soviet supremacy in Europe mostly. The
problem occurred in case of Soviets when they could not afford such huge amount of spending to
strengthen their military forces. On the contrary, Soviet powers wanted to consolidate their hold
on Europe but they gradually began to lose their ground as well.
2 Grachev, Andrei. Gorbachev's gamble: Soviet foreign policy and the end of the Cold War. John Wiley & Sons,
2018.