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04247aam a2200517 i 4500 001 E71C7ED8471C11EA8C4E586797128E48 003 SILO 005 20200204010450 008 190730t20202020kyu e b 001 0 eng c 010 $a 2019030036 020 $a 0813178177 020 $a 9780813178172 035 $a (OCoLC)1112142087 040 $a PUL $b eng $e rda $c PUL $d OCLCO $d SILO 042 $a pcc 043 $a e-ur--- $a e-ur--- 050 00 $a E876 $b .F567 2020 082 00 $a 973.927092 $2 23 100 1 $a Fischer, Beth A., $d 1964- $e author. 245 14 $a The myth of triumphalism : $b rethinking President Reagan's Cold War legacy / $c Beth A. Fischer. 246 30 $a Rethinking President Reagan's Cold War legacy 264 1 $a Lexington, Kentucky : $b The University Press of Kentucky, $c [2020] 300 $a 198 pages ; $c 24 cm. 490 1 $a Studies in conflict, diplomacy, and peace 504 $a Includes bibliographical references and index. 505 0 $a Introduction: Triumphalism and President Reagan's Cold War legacy -- Engaging the enemy -- Reagan's military buildup: "busting the Soviet Union"? -- The Strategic Defense Initiative: ending the MADness -- Soviet new thinking and the withdrawal from Afghanistan -- Moscow calls off the arms race -- The triumph of diplomacy and leadership. 520 $a "Did President Reagan's hawkish policies destroy the Soviet Union and enable the United States to win the Cold War? Many Americans believe this to be the case. In this view -- known as 'triumphalism' -- Reagan's denunciations of the 'evil empire' and his military buildup compelled Moscow to admit defeat. The president's triumph demonstrates that America's leaders should stand strong and threaten adversaries into submission. Drawing on both US and Soviet sources, this study demonstrates that triumphalism is a series of falsehoods about President Reagan's intentions, his policies, and the impact his administration had on the Soviet Union. In reality, the president's initially hardline posture undermined US interests and brought the superpowers to the brink of war. This work exposes Reagan's dedication to diplomacy and his unorthodox views about global security, which frequently brought him into conflict with his own advisers and allies. The president did not seek to destroy the USSR; rather, he sought to eliminate nuclear weapons. This volume also explains why Moscow chose to abandon the arms race, adopt democratic reforms, and withdraw from its ill-fated war in Afghanistan. These initiatives were part of a reform movement that had been growing in the USSR for decades before Reagan entered office. The Kremlin did not acquiesce to American pressure; rather, Soviet reformers believed the arms race had been futile and sought to move beyond the Cold War. In fact, President Reagan's initially aggressive policies had made it more difficult for Moscow to pursue these revolutionary reforms. Ultimately President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev together were able to accomplish what no one at the time thought possible -- the peaceful conclusion of the Cold War. The president's opposition to nuclear weapons, his determined leadership, and his dedication to diplomacy are his most enduring legacies"-- $c Provided by publisher. 600 10 $a Reagan, Ronald. 600 10 $a Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeevich, $d 1931- 600 17 $a Reagan, Ronald. $2 fast $0 (OCoLC)fst00036392 611 27 $a Cold War (1945-1989) $2 fast $0 (OCoLC)fst01754978 650 0 $a Cold War. 651 0 $a United States $x Foreign relations $z Soviet Union. 651 0 $a Soviet Union $x Foreign relations $z United States. 651 0 $a United States $x Foreign relations $y 1981-1989. 651 0 $a United States $x Politics and government $y 1981-1989. 650 7 $a Diplomatic relations. $2 fast $0 (OCoLC)fst01907412 650 7 $a Politics and government. $2 fast $0 (OCoLC)fst01919741 651 7 $a Soviet Union. $2 fast $0 (OCoLC)fst01210281 651 7 $a United States. $2 fast $0 (OCoLC)fst01204155 648 7 $a 1981-1989 $2 fast 830 0 $a Studies in conflict, diplomacy, and peace 941 $a 1 952 $l USUX851 $d 20200204025817.0 956 $a http://locator.silo.lib.ia.us/search.cgi?index_0=id&term_0=E71C7ED8471C11EA8C4E586797128E48 994 $a 92 $b IWAInitiate Another SILO Locator Search