Why Did the Cold War End In 1990?

The U.S.A hoped that if they increased their stockpile of arms the U.S.S.R would try and compete and this would eventually push them so they would have to back down because they would not be able to support this 'Arms Race' financially.

The expense if the war had also been unpopular with the majority of Russian and American people. The huge sums of money spent on 'the Arms race' and 'the space race' were regarded as a waste, especially in the U.S.S.R where the quality of life was poor and the economy was in a state of degradation. There was, therefore, pressure from the people to end the war

Many observers thought the U.S. defense build-up would lead to a more dangerous nuclear arms race. This also put pressure on both countries to negotiate and end the war.

Another reason for the Cold war to end when it did is that it was inevitable since from the 1960s Russia had been becoming less intensely communist in its regime. More consumer goods begun to be produced moving away from the highly industrial and typically communist production under Stalin.

Brezhnev and his colleagues wished Soviet citizens to be as prosperous as those in the capitalist nations, and to produce more for consumers they tried to incorporate innovations from the West, including innovations involving chemicals and computers. The Soviet Union was not keeping up in with sophisticated techniques in computers, software and communications electronics or the design and manufacturing of automobiles -- as were Taiwan and Korea. The Soviet Union lost its second place in world standings in manufacturing, falling behind the losers of World War II, Japan and Germany, and falling behind Great Britain and Italy. The Soviet Union's biggest customer for its manufactured goods was its military, and manufacturing for the military continued to use the Soviet Union's most skilled people, to the detriment of production for civilians.

The rigid command economy created by Stalin in the thirties was not suited for the rapid ideas and fast changing technologies that had been developing in free enterprise economies. The Soviet Union had no independently wealthy individuals looking to bankroll a new business with a new idea. In the Soviet Union it was the central government that was doing the investing, not only in the military but also in social programs, including spending money to keep bread available and at a low price, while money to modernize manufacturing was often lacking.

Gorbachev planned to improve the economy by reducing military spending.

Gorbachev saw U.S. leaders as rational, as not interested in destroying the Soviet Union through war and as wanting to avoid a nuclear holocaust. Gorbachev believed that the capitalist powers were not in need of restraint provided by the Soviet Union.