Reagan and Gorbachev Summits

• Geneva


  November 1985

  USSR and USA would work together towards a goal of cutting offensive nuclear weapons by 50%.

  3000 journalist attended (great hope)

  Made plans for a provisional agreement on limiting arms.

  • Discussed collaboration to end nuclear proliferation to other countries and maintain rational control and ban chemical weapons.

  ~ No concrete outcomes; joint statement 'nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought'.
• Reykjavik 


  October 1986

  Put Soviet+US back on track.

  Discussed human rights and humanitarian issues (no agreement made)

  No clear result or joint statement as its conclusion.

  • 1 year after: Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty was signed, paving the way for future arms reduction
• Washington

  December 1987

  Signed INF Treaty (ended the use of all ICBM and cruise missiles)

  Agreed to remove a whole class of nuclear weapons and accept that each state had the right to verify the removal on each other's territory.

  Soviets made no demands about the withdrawal of SDI and no demands that it should be able to retain 100 SS-20 missiles as defence against China.

  Soviets accepted that British+French nuclear weapons needed not be part of the overall deal.

  • Afghan war ends soon after.
• Moscow

  May-June 1988

  Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START); no headway and remained an issue

  proposed in Geneva, intended to limit the number of nuclear weapons to 5000 for each side.

  Focused on cultural exchanges and human rights.

  Reagan retracted 'evil empire' comment.

  Positive impact on Soviet people; Reagan's speech that emphasised freedom to Moscow students.

  • Gorbachev support increased
• George Bush


  Elected: Nov 1988, Took office in Jan 1989

  • Bush and Gorbachev appeared like-minded in the goal of renewed détente
  • His advisors warned him that although Gorbachev was a reformer, he may be trying to buy time to rebuild USSR and re-emerge as more powerful.
  • Bush signed START as he felt the US position should support Gorbachev and Soviet Union, not undermine them