The Soviet Union Failure in the Cold War, Essay Example

Reagan’s overall plan was to create such great controversy by launching a rhetorical attack on the Soviet Union at a time when they were the weakest, that the cold war would come to an end.

The Soviet Union was failing. Religion was not allowed, this was meant for the achievement of the ideological perspective of eliminating religion. This was achieved through the confiscation of the properties of the church by communist regime, ridicule to religion, harassment of believers and propagation of atheism in schools. The interests of the state were the main determinant of the actions towards religion since majority of the organized religions was legal. The actions were meant at uniting people under the rule of communists. The official stance of religion inn the government “religious freedom or tolerance”(Dianne, 146-62). However, atheism introduction was the solitary scientific truth. The anti-religious policy in future years in USSR had important implications in latter power rivalries as well as struggle among the diverse leaders of the Soviet Union.

Other actions that lead to the failure of the Soviet Union as a result of the cold war were issues of the introduction of martial law which was enacted in Poland resulting to the fueling of resentment there. Afghanistan had become a bloody stalemate, Oil prices had plummeted, caused by the secret strategy meant at exacerbating the weakness of the Soviet in addition to undermining of its power.  This had the repercussions of bankrupting the economic welfare of the  Soviet Union through the opposition of the sales of oils as well as gases from the Soviet to the Western Europe and the situation was further complicated with the lowering of Saudi Arabia cooperation. (Jack, 47-112). Affecting the price of oil on a global perspective making it hard for USSR to access the much needed foreign currency. This had the consequences of leaving the Soviet economy in shambles.

Work Cited

Dianne, Kirby.  Religion and the Cold War NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Jack, Matlock.  Reagan and Gorbachev: how the Cold War ended NY: Random House, 2004.