Changes

The Western democracies, under the leadership of the United States under President [[Ronald Reagan]], won the Cold War with a policy that rejected détente and containment and instead relied on [[Rollback]].  An important element of this victory was Reagan's decision to commit to increased military spending, such as the  "[[Strategic Defense Initiative|Star Wars]]" program.  Reagan's decisions to intervene in Afghanistan while pursuing an arms race exacerbated structural weaknesses in the Soviet economy and pushed the USSR into an early decline.

The Western democracies, under the leadership of the United States under President [[Ronald Reagan]], won the Cold War with a policy that rejected détente and containment and instead relied on [[Rollback]].  An important element of this victory was Reagan's decision to commit to increased military spending, such as the  "[[Strategic Defense Initiative|Star Wars]]" program.  Reagan's decisions to intervene in Afghanistan while pursuing an arms race exacerbated structural weaknesses in the Soviet economy and pushed the USSR into an early decline.

[[Image:300px-ReaganBerlinWall.jpg‎|right|275px|thumb|Reagan with its famous speech [[Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech|"Mr.Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"]]]]

[[Image:300px-ReaganBerlinWall.jpg‎|right|275px|thumb|Reagan with his famous speech [[Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech|"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"]]]]

In 1985, [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] become General Secretary of the Communist Party.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/11/newsid_2538000/2538327.stm Gorbachev Becomes Soviet Leader], ''BBC'', 11 March 1985.</ref>  Recognizing the systemic problems faced by Soviet society, he attempted the twin reform programs of [[Glasnost]] (openness) and [[Perestroika]] (restructuring).  Combined with the disaster at Chernobyl and losses in the war in Afghanistan, the effects of Gorbachev's reforms quickly spun out of control.  Glasnost allowed media attention to focus on problems which had long been buried by the state's propaganda regime, causing widespread dissatisfaction among Soviet citizens.  In 1989, a wave of constituent republics began to seek autonomy from the Soviet Union.  Most attempts at succession (with the exception of Lithuania) were met with no Soviet resistance.

In 1985, [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] become General Secretary of the Communist Party.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/11/newsid_2538000/2538327.stm Gorbachev Becomes Soviet Leader], ''BBC'', 11 March 1985.</ref>  Recognizing the systemic problems faced by Soviet society, he attempted the twin reform programs of [[Glasnost]] (openness) and [[Perestroika]] (restructuring).  Combined with the disaster at Chernobyl and losses in the war in Afghanistan, the effects of Gorbachev's reforms quickly spun out of control.  Glasnost allowed media attention to focus on problems which had long been buried by the state's propaganda regime, causing widespread dissatisfaction among Soviet citizens.  In 1989, a wave of constituent republics began to seek autonomy from the Soviet Union.  Most attempts at succession (with the exception of Lithuania) were met with no Soviet resistance.