1921-1991 🇷🇺 Communist Russia, 1980-1991 End of the Cold War
Summary
Soviet policy implemented by 👤 Mikhail Gorbachev, emphasising:
- independence
- mutual security
- unity of mankind
- irrationality of nuclear war
It de-escalated the Cold War, at least from an ideological perspective.
| Traditional Soviet thinking | New Political Thinking | |
|---|---|---|
| Diplomacy | Emphasis on ideology & class struggle | No more ideology or class struggle |
| Confrontation | Triumph of communism over capitalist West | Seen as counterproductive |
| RESULT: Emphasis on cooperation instead | ||
| Arms race | Sought to match or surpass the West’s technological & military advances | Strongly repudiated nuclear war; arms race was pointless |
| RESULT: Arms reduction & 'reasonable sufficiency' | ||
| Military | Military power first! | Political accommodation → solve problems & achieve real security |