Chicago style research paper gorbachev relationship with margaret thatcher and ronald regan

1. Gorbachev relationship 1
GORBACHEV RELATIONSHIP WITH MARGARET THATCHER AND RONALD
REAGAN
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(March 20, 2011)

2. Gorbachev relationship 2
Gorbachev relationship with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan
Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan having served at the same time of the
Cold War between the US and the Russians even though Margaret Thatcher came in late. They
both had a common interest in their political career; this was to end the Cold war1. A part from
ending the Cold War, economically, they both had one goal, reviving the economy of their
countries to its best and preaching war against drugs.
Socially both were in forefront of fighting each other. Ronald Reagan and Margaret
Thatcher fought for Capitalisms while Gorbachev fought for Communisms.
Gorbachev, born 2 March 1931, took over the General Secretary of the Central Union Committee
of the Soviet Union from Chernenko who died in office after serving the union for 13 months in
March 11, 19852.
This was a time when the government’s system was unsystematic despite its efforts to improve
in industrialization and economic growth so as to reach the western standards. So Gorbachev set
his goal of reviving the Soviet economy after remaining stagnant for many years under the rule
of Brezhnev. To achieve his goals, he proposed a vague programme of reforms which was
adopted later in April Plenum of the Central Committee. After adaptation, he insisted on fast
modernization from inside the country and also increased the productivity in industrialization
and agriculture wise.
By doing so, in the mid-to-late 1980s, he introduced a program called Perestroika, Glasnost,
Demokratizatsiya, Uskoreniye3. Perestroika’s main purpose was to restructure itself and
overcome the economic problems, the Glasnost purpose was to lets its citizens to freely give out
1
Thatcher, Margaret. "Conservative Party Manifesto 1979". Foreword. conservativemanifesto.com. (1979)
http://www.conservativemanifesto.com/1979/1979-conservative-manifesto.shtml (accessed March 20, 2011)
2
Kuhn, Jim A Memoir of My Years in the White House, Ronald Reagan in Private, (1990),
http://www.enotalone.com/article/6266.html (accessed March 20, 2011)
3
Kuhn, Jim

3. Gorbachev relationship 3
their opinions, Demokratizatsiya was to encourage democracy within the nation while
Uskoreniye was to improve the economy of the Soviet Union all this was launched on 27th
Congress of the CPSU in February 19864.
Gorbachev created good relations with Western leaders such as West German Chancellor Helmut
Kohl, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher,
underscoring the common interests of Soviets and Europeans by discussing missile reductions.
So he used this opportunity to try to end the Cold War.
On the other hand, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States of America who was
known to be a conservative, was also busy trying his best to improve the economy of the US by
aiming to lower the federal regulations and taxes. By 1984, the economy of the US was still
strong despite the recession in 1980’s. Like Gorbachev who came up with Perestroika, Glasnost,
Demokratizatsiya, Uskoreniye, Reagan came up with his policy of “Reagonomic” which was
based on the idea of cutting taxes in order to encourage savings and investment. His economic
idea was based on libertarian idea of Chicago School of Economics and Milton Friedman whom
his idea was also borrowed by Margaret Thatcher5.
Being in office in 1981, he issued National Security Decision Directive 11-82, (NSDD11-82). Its
main target was to make sure that there was economic spending warfare against the Soviet. To be
stronger, he aided those nations whom were seen to have conflicts with the Soviet Union such as
the Mujahideen of Afghanistan by giving them anti-aircraft missiles to fight the Soviet invaders.
An educated man he was, Gorbachev knew very well that if the two nations, the United States
and the Russians continued to pile up their weapons, the situation could be worse leading to
accidents or foreseen circumstances. He based this new argument on Richard Nixon when the
4
Margaret Thatcher foundation, Cold War: The Gorbachevs visit Chequers [memoirs extract] (2000)
http://www.margaretthatcher.org/archive/us-reagan.asp (accessed March 20, 2011)
5
Margaret Thatcher foundation,

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former president visited Moscow: "Even if one country would constantly be arming itself, and
the other would do nothing, then this first country still would gain nothing. For the weak side
may simply detonate all its nuclear devices, even on its own territory, and it would mean suicide
for it and a slow killing for the adversary."
Gorbachev made a request for a summit with Reagan so as to discuss the impact the Reagan
regime that had affected the Soviet Military spending and economy.
Like Reagan, Margaret Thatcher was also very active in the economy of the British and was a
very close ally of President Reagan and these was evidenced by the way he defended Reagan
Administration with their plans of Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) known by the media as
“Star Wars”6. Margaret Thatcher fully supported the SDI even though at some point, she
contradicted with the Reagan’s view of moving the world entirely of nuclear weapons.
Gorbachev did not like the idea and Margaret Thatcher realized that and knew with the stand of
Gorbachev, she could end up being used as a weapon to President Reagan hence creating
enemies between the two nations so she stressed on having a good relationship with the
Americans.
In December 22, 1984, Margaret Thatcher paid Reagan a visit at Camp David whereby they
discussed so many agendas of which she also told Reagan about Gorbachev of whom she praised
to be a charming and open minded unlike other earlier Russian leaders7. She then briefed him
about Russians concerns and the implications of the “Star Wars” for the NATO doctrine of the
nuclear deterrence.
Through this discussion with Margaret Thatcher, Reagan who had labeled the Soviet Union as
“The evil empire” had their first summit meeting with Gorbachev in November 1985. What they
6
Margaret Thatcher foundation,
7
Maureen Johnson. "Bible-Quoting Thatcher Stirs Furious Debate". Associated Press (May, 1988)

5. Gorbachev relationship 5
were to discuss about was the Arms even though some other issues came up like how to put to an
end to the Cold War.
Each times the US and Soviet had contacts, Margaret Thatcher had closer look on their
happenings and negotiations getting some private briefings from Reagan’s National Security
Adviser. Through these meetings, there was hope of ending the Cold War and both developed
some warm relationships.
In October 1986, the summit between Reagan and Gorbachev in Reykjavik ended in a stalemate.
Margaret Thatcher decided to visit Camp David for the second time in 1986 giving in her
declaration affirming the doctrine of deterrence8.
In June 12, 1987, during his speech at the Brandenburg Gate commemorating the 750th
anniversary of Berlin, Reagan gave a challenge to the Gorbachev, then the General Secretary of
the Communist Party of the Soviet Union the American terms which were meant to end the Cold
War which were, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate! Mr.
Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” This remarks led to the Soviet
being forced to agree as they watched their empire collapse that night in 1989.
8
Thatcher, Margaret. "Conservative Party Manifesto 1979". Foreword. conservativemanifesto.com. (1979)
http://www.conservativemanifesto.com/1979/1979-conservative-manifesto.shtml

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Bibliography
Kuhn, Jim. A Memoir of My Years in the White House, Ronald Reagan in Private, (1990), http://
www.enotalone.com/article/6266.html (accessed March 20, 2011)
Margaret Thatcher foundation, Cold War: The Gorbachevs visit Chequers [memoirs extract]
(2000) http://www.margaretthatcher.org/archive/us-reagan.asp (accessed March 20,
2011)
Maureen Johnson. "Bible-Quoting Thatcher Stirs Furious Debate". Associated Press (May,
1988)
Thatcher, Margaret. "Conservative Party Manifesto 1979". Foreword conservativemanifesto.com
(1979) http://www.conservativemanifesto.com/1979/1979-conservative-manifesto.shtml
(accessed March 20, 2011)