Why did the Cold War end this way?
Historians continue to debate the causes. Major factors include:
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Economic stagnation of the Soviet system, especially compared to the dynamic capitalism of the West and rapidly growing Asian economies
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The economic burden of military spending and the arms race
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The disaster of Afghanistan, which drained Soviet resources and morale
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Reagan's military buildup of the 1980s, which strained Soviet resources further (this is the most disputed factor among historians)
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Pope John Paul II's support for Solidarity in his native Poland
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Gorbachev's specific personal decisions, which differed from any other Soviet leader's likely decisions
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The accumulated pressure of decades of dissident movements within communist countries
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The example of successful market economies in Asia, including communist China's reforms under Deng
X. Themes and Takeaways