Did the West undo the East? (influence of Western nations on the collapse of Communism in the former USSR) (Special Issue: The Strange Death of Soviet Communism)

From: The National Interest | Date: March 22, 1993| Author: Sestanovich, Stephen | Copyright information

The collapse of communism in the former USSR was influenced by policies adopted by the US and other Western governments. The Cold War had forced the USSR to escalate its military spending in reaction to the arms build-up initiated by the West. This led to a deterioration of the country's ability to solve pressing domestic problems. Soviet policies had also proven ineffective in dealing with both internal and external pressure.

THE COLD WAR, it was often said, was a struggle not mere...

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