Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Ronald Reagan & the 'Second Cold War' (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
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
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The Superpower Relations paper does not require an in-depth knowledge of Ronald Reagan. Try to remember that Reagan acted differently from Carter and Nixon. In his first term as president, Reagan did not want to collaborate with the Soviet Union. He used his conservative values to make the USA stand up against communism.
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 'Evil Empire' speech
![Illustration of Ronald Reagan speaking at a podium with quotes: "[The Soviet Union is] an evil empire," "America is good...," "I believe that communism is a sad chapter..."](https://cdn.savemyexams.com/cdn-cgi/image/f=auto,width=3840/https://cdn.savemyexams.com/uploads/2024/04/reagan-evil-empire-quotes.png)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Reagan's actions are similar to the US policy of containment at the start of the Cold War. This is important to remember when considering the narrative of the Cold War. Reagan's presidency increased Cold War tensions back to the levels seen in the 1950s and 1960s. The evidence for this is Reagan's invasion of Grenada. This event is comparable to Kennedy's invasion of Cuba in 1961. Both invasions aimed to overthrow a communist government and push the threat of communism away from the USA.
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
Worked Example
Explain one consequence of the Strategic Defense Initiative (1983)
4 marks
Answer:
One consequence of the Strategic Defense Initiative was increasing the technological gap between the USA and the Soviet Union. Reagan announced the SDI to the US public on 23rd March 1983. The SDI involved sending satellites into orbit with the capability of shooting down Soviet missiles by laser. The announcement of the SDI scared the Soviet Union. The Soviet government did not possess the technology to produce a comparable weapons system. This highlighted the technology gap between the two countries. The Soviet Union did not have advanced computer technology like the USA. It also did not have the skilled engineers and scientists to produce this technology. The SDI, even just as an idea, showed that the USA possessed much more technical ability than the Soviet Union.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A high-standard response to this question needs to explain what the SDI caused to happen. There are many different approaches to this question. You could explain how the SDI showed how advanced the US economy was in comparison to the Soviet Union's. Ensure that you explain in detail using specific own knowledge how the SDI caused your chosen consequence to occur. In this example, you can see the use of accurate statistics and dates to support the argument.
This question has previously asked you to explain two consequences. In the Superpower Relations exam paper for 2025, this question will ask you to explain one consequence. However, there will be two different "Explain one consequence of" questions, each worth four marks.
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