History · A Level: The end of the Cold War, 1975-1991 (exams to Nov 2026). The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.
Reagan began with pressure. He raised defence spending and, under the Reagan Doctrine, aided anti-communist rebels in places such as Afghanistan and Nicaragua. From about 1984 he also showed he was willing to talk.
Gorbachev needed lower defence costs to rescue the Soviet economy. At home he introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). Abroad his 'new thinking' said that security came from cooperation, not from more weapons.
The two leaders met at four summits between 1985 and 1988 and built trust. Gorbachev also withdrew from Afghanistan and told Eastern European states that they could choose their own path.
Glasnost and perestroika are often swapped. Glasnost is openness in discussion and the media. Perestroika is the restructuring of the economy and political system.
Answer: Economic reform needed lower military spending, and his 'new thinking' accepted that cooperation could provide security.
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