I saw a piece on TV today about the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It did not mention Ronald Reagan and the pressure that the Soviet Union was under from the West. From the TV news perspective, the Berlin Wall fell because one day the East German Communist regime and the Soviet Union just shriveled up and died. What a joke. It is like commemorating the end of the Second World War without mentioning the soldiers of the allies who defeated the Nazis and the Japanese.
Prior to Reagan taking office in the USA and Margaret Thatcher becoming leader of the UK, the policy of NATO towards the Soviets was to make sure that the West did not lose. We confronted and contained the Soviets; we did not try to defeat them. All of the major battles of the Cold War to that point had been defensive. America held on to West Berlin through the Berlin air lift in the late 1940's. In Korea, troops came in to defend South Korea against the attack from the Communist North Koreans. In Taiwan, American force was stationed to defend that island against attack by Communist China on the mainland. In Vietnam, defense of South Vietnam was the goal; American planes struck North Vietnam, but it was to help save the south, not to conquer the north. The West flirted with going on the offensive, but never really did so. President Kennedy authorized the Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban freedom fighters, but then he got cold feet and did not support them once they hit the beach. The change came with Reagan who decided to take the offensive. In Nicaragua, the USA began supporting the Contras who were battling against the Communist Sandanistas. In Afghanistan, America supported the locals who were battling to oust the Soviet invaders of that country. In Poland, the West gave support to the Solidarity trade union movement which was non-Communist and pro-freedom. At the same time, the USA began a massive military buildup that the Soviets were not able to match. This is just a partial summary of what went on, but the point for the Soviets was clearly made: they were now under pressure on all fronts and they realized that they could not keep up with the West. It was that pressure that caused the collapse of the Soviet empire and of the Berlin Wall.
Prior to Reagan taking office in the USA and Margaret Thatcher becoming leader of the UK, the policy of NATO towards the Soviets was to make sure that the West did not lose. We confronted and contained the Soviets; we did not try to defeat them. All of the major battles of the Cold War to that point had been defensive. America held on to West Berlin through the Berlin air lift in the late 1940's. In Korea, troops came in to defend South Korea against the attack from the Communist North Koreans. In Taiwan, American force was stationed to defend that island against attack by Communist China on the mainland. In Vietnam, defense of South Vietnam was the goal; American planes struck North Vietnam, but it was to help save the south, not to conquer the north. The West flirted with going on the offensive, but never really did so. President Kennedy authorized the Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban freedom fighters, but then he got cold feet and did not support them once they hit the beach. The change came with Reagan who decided to take the offensive. In Nicaragua, the USA began supporting the Contras who were battling against the Communist Sandanistas. In Afghanistan, America supported the locals who were battling to oust the Soviet invaders of that country. In Poland, the West gave support to the Solidarity trade union movement which was non-Communist and pro-freedom. At the same time, the USA began a massive military buildup that the Soviets were not able to match. This is just a partial summary of what went on, but the point for the Soviets was clearly made: they were now under pressure on all fronts and they realized that they could not keep up with the West. It was that pressure that caused the collapse of the Soviet empire and of the Berlin Wall.
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