Ronald Reagan & the 'Second Cold War' (Edexcel GCSE History)

Why did Reagan's Presidency Start the Second Cold War? - Summary

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979) and Ronald Reagan's first term as president (1981-85) marks a period that historians refer to as the 'Second Cold War'. After a period of détente in the 1970s, the beginning of the 1980s saw a worsening of US-Soviet relations. The relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union became hostile.

The 1979 invasion aimed to install a pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan. The Soviet government continued to send troops into the country for the next decade. The conflict between the Soviet Union and the Mujahideen cost the Soviet Union $80 billion and the death of 15,000 Soviet troops. 

The USA also became more aggressive in its actions. Reagan made verbal and physical attacks on communism throughout his first presidency. He made it clear to the US public and the Soviet Union his intention to 'roll back' and 'eliminate' communism. His actions proved that Reagan would not collaborate with the Soviet Union. He introduced policies like the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). He aimed to destroy the Soviet economy and, in turn, the Soviet Union itself.

Who was Ronald Reagan?

• Ronald Reagan became the President of the USA in 1981

  • Reagan was the Governor of California from 1967 to 1975

  • He was a Republican

• Before Reagan's career in politics, he was an actor

  • Over a 30-year career, Reagan appeared in more than 50 films

• Reagan held strong opinions about communism

  • Communism went against his Christian and conservative values

Reagan's Attitude Towards the Soviet Union & the 'Evil Empire' Speech

• Reagan believed that communism posed a significant threat to the USA

  • Reagan persuaded the US Congress to increase military spending

    • In 1982, the USA spent almost 7% of its GDP on the defence budget

    • Reagan encouraged the development of new weapons such as Trident and stealth bombers

• The Reagan Doctrine aimed to:

  • Give support to anti-communist groups attempting to overthrow communist governments

    • The US government financed the efforts of anti-communist groups in El Salvador

    • The US army invaded and overthrew the communist government in Grenada

  • 'Rollback' communism

    • Reagan wanted to remove the influence of communism from other parts of the world. This would keep communism in the Soviet Union

• Reagan made a key speech stating his opinions of communism and the Soviet Union

  • On 8th March 1983, Reagan made a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals (a Christian organisation)

    • The image below shows some key quotes from Reagan's speech:

An image showing the important messages from Reagan's 'Evil Empire' speech on 8th March 1983

The Strategic Defense Initiative: the Star Wars Program

• Reagan introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in 1983

  • A popular nickname for the SDI was 'Star Wars'

• The SDI involved:

  • Sending satellites into orbit

  • These satellites would have the capability of shooting down Soviet missiles by laser

• Reagan announced the SDI to the US public on 23rd March 1983

  • At this point, the US scientists had not developed the technology to implement the SDI

    • Reagan did not inform the US public that the technology did not exist

  • In the next decade, the US government spent $30 billion attempting to create the SDI

The Soviet Union's Reaction to the SDI

• The US announcement of the SDI shocked the Soviet Union

  • The Soviet government had spent an unsustainable amount of money developing nuclear technology to the same levels as the USA

  • By the 1980s, the Soviet economy was failing

    • The Soviet Union could not afford to create a new weapons system

• The Soviet Union saw the SDI as a significant threat to their safety

  • The SDI broke the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which banned the use of space for military purposes

  • The Soviet Union believed the USA was becoming more aggressive towards them

The Impact of the SDI on Cold War Relations

• The SDI showed the growing gap between the USA and the Soviet Union's economy

  • Reagan knew that the US government could out-spend the Soviet Union. The US government did not believe that the SDI would become a reality

  • Announcing the SDI was a tactic to force the Soviet Union to collapse or to accept defeat in the Cold War. This worsened US-Soviet relations

• The Soviet Union's belief that the USA could develop the SDI showed the USA's technological advantage 

  • The USA's development of computers boosted their economy

    • By 1983, the computer company Apple earned nearly $1 billion in sales

  • In comparison, the Soviet Union did not have the same level of computer technology

    • A lack of consumerism meant that Soviet goods were of poor quality

    • The Soviet Union experienced a skill gap. Many engineers had left East Germany during the Berlin Refugee Crisis in the 1950s.

    • The Soviet Union would have to develop better computers before it could create a system like the SDI

• The SDI forced the Soviet Union to reform

  • Mikhail Gorbachev became the new Soviet leader in 1985

    • Gorbachev developed a policy called 'new thinking'. A part of Gorbachev's policy aimed to reform the Soviet economy