Fountaindale Public Library

The peacemaker, Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the world on the brink, William Inboden

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 485-571) and index

contains biographical information

illustrationsplates

index present

non fiction

The peacemaker

bibliography

1349454513

William Inboden

Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the world on the brink

With decades of hindsight, the peaceful end of the Cold War seems a foregone conclusion. But in the early 1980s, most experts believed the Soviet Union would last into the next century. Ronald Reagan entered the White House with no certainty of what would happen next, only an overriding faith in democracy and an abiding belief that Soviet communism - and the threat of nuclear war - must end. This book reveals how Reagan's White House managed multiple crises around the globe. From the emergence of global terrorism, wars in the Middle East, the rise of Japan, and the awakening of China to proxy conflicts in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Reagan's team oversaw the worldwide expansion of democracy, globalization, free trade, and the information revolution. Yet no issue was greater than the Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. As president, Reagan made the four-decades-old policy of containment and challenged the Soviets in an arms race and ideological contest that pushed them towards economic and political collapse, all while extending an olive branch of diplomacy as he sought a peaceful end to the conflict. Reagan's revolving team, while talented and devoted to their president, was often as odds with one another as rivalries and backstabbing led to missteps and crises. But over the course of the presidency, they still developed the strategies that brought about the Cold War's peaceful conclusion and ultimately changed the world. Based on thousands of pages of newly declassified documents and interviews with senior Reagan officials, this book brims with fresh insights into one of America's most consequential presidents. Along the way, it shows how the pivotal decade of the 1980s shaped the world today

East of California -- Taking the stage -- The global chessboard -- The battle is joined -- Summer of freedom -- Raising the stakes -- The maelstrom -- Toil and trouble -- Morning in America, Twilight in the cold war? -- Waiting for Gorbachev -- Making history in Geneva, and finding trouble in Tehran -- The crucible -- Comeback -- Endgame

adult

Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the world on the brink