Essay Plan. To what extent was the Afghanistan war important for the end of the Cold War?

by camimata (student)

Essay Plan

End of the Cold War. To what extent was the Afghanistan war important for the end of the Cold War?

Thesis: Afghanistan brought about several economic problems for the Soviet Union, which destabilized it and contributed to the end of rivalries however the main reason for the end of the Cold War were the actions taken by Gorbachev, Reagan’s response and the further internal consequences in the USSR.

Paragraph #1: The war in Afghanistan represented the trigger cause for a series of political and economical reforms in the Soviet Union, which were only possible through Gorbachev, the first Russian leader to admit the failure of such war.

1982: the Mujahedeen controlled 75% of Afghanistan despite fighting the might of the world’s second most powerful military power. 1980: America ended SALT I.
Media and press started to transform, first shots of glasnost, war veterans (Afghansti) formed new civil organizations weakening the political hegemony of the communist party.
The war discredited the Red Army; it changed the perception of leaders about the efficiency of using the military to hold the empire together and to intervene in foreign countries.
Maintaining such a vast force in Afghanistan (over 85,000 soldiers) was crippling Russia’s already weak economy, it have non-Russian a common a cause to demand independence “non Russian fighting a Russian war).
Interpretations: Simon Ball (there is little doubt that the Cold War came to an end as a result of the economic failure. This failure led in turn to a failure of nerve amongst the Soviet Government elite”.

Paragraph #2: Mikhail Gorbachev´s policies and reforms in the Soviet Union led to the definitive dissolution of the USSR and consequently the end of the Cold War.

Gorbachev came to power in 1985, by 1989 he had ordered the withdrawal of soviet troops from Afghanistan after agreements and negotiations in 1988 with the Afghans.
Perestroika: Seeking to bring the Soviet Union up to economic par with capitalist countries such as Germany, Japan, and the U.S., he decentralized economic controls and encouraged enterprises to become self-financing.
Glasnost: Soviet policy of open discussion of political and social issues. Glasnost also ...

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Paragraph #2: Mikhail Gorbachev´s policies and reforms in the Soviet Union led to the definitive dissolution of the USSR and consequently the end of the Cold War.

Gorbachev came to power in 1985, by 1989 he had ordered the withdrawal of soviet troops from Afghanistan after agreements and negotiations in 1988 with the Afghans.
Perestroika: Seeking to bring the Soviet Union up to economic par with capitalist countries such as Germany, Japan, and the U.S., he decentralized economic controls and encouraged enterprises to become self-financing.
Glasnost: Soviet policy of open discussion of political and social issues. Glasnost also permitted criticism of government officials and allowed the media freer dissemination of news and information.
Gorbachev cancelled the implementation of the Brezhnev doctrine and accepted the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1990.
Interpretations: Dimitri Volkogonov: uses the word "paradox" more than any other in his account of Gorbachev in power - the convinced Communist who killed Communism; the Leninist who believed Soviet power could be democratized.

Paragraph #3: Ronald Reagan actions and policies played a fundamental factor in the end of the Cold War by responding with extra pressure on Gorbachev’s policies.

Reagan policies were aimed to leave Detente and adopt a aggressive position towards the USSR. The Cold War became increasingly confrontational. His strong rhetoric towards the nation encouraged east-European citizens to oppose communism.
Reagan gave military and economic support, as well as training and weapons to the Mujahedeen. He made his meetings with the afghan leaders public in the White House in 1983.
SDI (Strategic Defense initiative). Reagan promoted the “star wars”: mechanism to destroy nuclear missiles from the space.
Carter withdrew SALT II from the senate. US imposed embargoes on grain and technology shipments to the USSR. US would boycott the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics.
Interpretations: David Greenberg, there is no doubt that Ronald Reagan brought the end of the cold war through a second term conversion to detente and disarmament.

Paragraph #4: Gorbachev’s actions and Regan’s responses generated internal pressures among the Soviet bloc and sublevations in countries as Poland which contributed to the end of the cold war.

Czechoslovakia rebelled in 1968 against communism and Alexander Dubcek became the leader. This leader began a process of economic and political emancipation called the Prague spring.
In April 14th, 1988, the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan signed an agreement known as the Geneva accords. In was agreed a full withdrawal of Soviets by February 1989.
Solidarity reached 9.5 million members. This forced Gorbachev to declare the East European countries free 1988.
Historiography: At first the Soviets gave us an ultimatum: either bring the situation under control or we will cut off supplies of oil, gas and other raw materials. We had to convince our allies that we would not undermine the Warsaw Pact or allow the state to be undermined. General Jaruzelski speaking in 1995