AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: The End of the Cold War (Day 298/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about the End of the Cold War as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Bush-Gorbachev in Helsinki, Wikimedia Commons

After decades of conflicts and tensions, the Cold War finally ended in 1991 with agreements between the U.S. and Russia to work toward a normalization of relations.

Dissolution of the Eastern Bloc, Wikimedia Commons

Following years of economic stagnation, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev introduced policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) to reform the Soviet system, triggering increased demands for political freedom and independence in Eastern Europe.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall, Wikimedia Commons

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 led to the reunification of Germany and symbolized the collapse of the Iron Curtain and fall of communism. 

“Arms Talks,” Etta Hulme

While earlier presidents pushed for arms control agreements such as the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), President Reagan engaged in aggressive arms buildup, including the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), which pressured the Soviet Union economically and militarily.

Ultimately, the Cold War ended with the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, leaving the United States as the world's sole superpower and reshaping the global political landscape.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Bush 41 & the Persian Gulf War in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!