1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910817404303321

Autore

Fischer Beth A. <1964->

Titolo

The myth of triumphalism : rethinking President Reagan's Cold War legacy / / Beth A. Fischer [[electronic resource]]

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Lexington, Kentucky : , : University Press of Kentucky, , 2020

ISBN

0-8131-7818-5

0-8131-7819-3

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (213 pages)

Collana

Studies in conflict, diplomacy, and peace

Kentucky scholarship online

Disciplina

973.927092

Soggetti

Cold War

United States Foreign relations Soviet Union

Soviet Union Foreign relations United States

United States Foreign relations 1981-1989

United States Politics and government 1981-1989

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Previously issued in print: 2019.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Introduction: Triumphalism and President Reagan's Cold War legacy -- Engaging the enemy -- Reagan's military buildup : "busting the Soviet Union"? -- The strategic defense initiative : ending the MADness -- Soviet new thinking and the withdrawal from Afghanistan -- Moscow calls off the arms race -- The triumph of diplomacy and leadership.

Sommario/riassunto

Virtually no one anticipated the ending of the Cold War. Understanding how this long-standing conflict was peacefully resolved can give us insight into how to conclude other seemingly intractable conflicts. Triumphalists believe that President Ronald Reagan "won" the Cold War by building up US military power and threatening the USSR. His hard-line policies forced Moscow to reduce its arsenal, adopt democratic reforms, withdraw from its war in Afghanistan, and ultimately collapse. Triumphalists assert that contemporary leaders should follow Reagan's example bycompelling adversaries into submission. However, triumphalism is a myth, a series of falsehoods about Reagan's intentions, his policies, and the impact his administration had on the USSR.