o Levesque, it is quite evident that Gorbachev’s lack of control played a big role in ultimately leading to the end of the Cold War, but it is not the only reason as to why this occurred because other factors such as the Soviet-American relations improving, Reagan’s presidency and his policies and the Soviet Union’s economy, contributed to why the Cold War came to an end. Relations between the Soviets and the Americans were damaged, and so were relations with Eastern European countries because Gorbachev’s focus was on the West and Soviet control was inadequate. Therefore, it is clear that the main reason for the end of the Cold War was the lack of control Gorbachev had over the Eastern European countries.

Pemberton:

Pemberton’s interpretation of Reagan’s leadership outlines why Reagan was a significant factor that influenced the end of the Cold War. Ultimately, he changed the political landscape of America by enforcing relationships with the Soviet Union through summits with Gorbachev. The Geneva summit in 1985 for instance, was essential in improving Soviet-American relations because Reagan and Gorbachev met for the first time to discuss international diplomatic relations and the arms race. Similar to Eisenhower, Reagan believed that a personal relationship among leaders was the necessary first step to breaking down the barriers of tension that existed between the two countries, which then allowed the following summits to be more effective, for example by setting out terms for treaties and forming consensuses. The 1986 Reykjavik summit discussed the banning of ballistic missiles proposed by Gorbachev and the Moscow Summit of 1988 allowed Gorbachev and Reagan to finalise the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Reagan’s goal was to convince Gorbachev that America desired peace above all else. Therefore, Pemberton considers Reagan to have positively impacted the end of the Cold War through his contribution to the 5 summits he had with Gorbachev.