Comparing The Political Figures Of Mikhail Gorbachev And Ronald Reagan

In the 1980’s two remarkable political figures emerged, Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan. These two leaders are often credited with ending a period characterized by fear and tension: the Cold War. One momentous step that aided in ending this conflict was the 1986 Reykjavík Summit, held on October 11 and 12 at the Höfði house in Reykjavík, Iceland. The Reykjavík Summit began negotiations that became the framework for the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which eliminated thousands of nuclear and conventional missiles in both the United States and Soviet Union. The purpose of this investigation is to support the stance that the Reykjavík Summit is far more significant than other summit meetings held between Reagan and Gorbachev. Although

Mikhail Gorbachev was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. Gorbachev’s immediate predecessors are not as famous as Leonid Brezhnev, an opponent of de-stalinization who served until 1982. Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States, and his term lasted from 1981 to 1989. Reagan was a Republican, which signaled a shift in the way Reagan would execute negotiations, develop policy, and represent himself from his predecessor, Democrat Jimmy Carter. Reagan was a staunch anti-Communist at the beginning of his term, and he, like many others of the distrustful, paranoid, Red Scare infested time period, believed the Soviet Union threatened not only American values but world peace overall (Farnham). However, Reagan realized the need for improved communication with the Soviet Union to alleviate fears and prevent any drastic actions on both sides. This willingness lead to suggestions to Gorbachev, facilitated by George H.W. Bush, to attend a summit meeting (Jackson). Fortunately for Reagan, Gorbachev, who was set to replace the current general secretary Konstantin Chernenko, shared the same sentiments and was pleased to know that Reagan was willing to establish a strong diplomatic relationship (Jackson). The willingness of both Gorbachev and Reagan resulted in the Geneva Summit, conceiving the relationship between the