Communism Spreading
In the 80's, Central American countries like El Salvador and Nicaragua were overthrowing their dictators and forming close ties with communist Cuba. United States President Ronald Reagan was very nervous of this, and sent troops, supplies, and money to stop communism. In addition to Central America, the Middle East was also in a war over what government they would be in. The U.S., France, and Italy sent troops to keep the peace, but Muslim extremists saw the armies as a threat and went through a series of terrorist attacks. It became obvious that the USSR was still trying to dominate the world, and the U.S. could not let that happen.
The End of Strict Rule
When Mikhail Gorbachev came into Soviet Union office in 1985, the communist economy was struggling. Farmers and workers were too busy trying to meet the quota set forth every year that there was no improvement or increase of output; in fact, many people were starving because they could not put forth enough supplies for the government and themselves. In response to these conditions, Gorbachev ended some state industries and allowed some private businesses to rise. He made clear that the USSR was still communist, though.
The U.S. and USSR Bond
Reagan and Gorbachev met four times, where they decided it would be best for both countries to put an end to the arms race. They actually became friends, and even though Reagan refused to bring down his nuclear defenses, both parties agreed to take out some of their weapons.
Communism Falls
In 1989, Gorbachev announced that the Soviet Union would move out of the countries under its rule, and that they could decide what government they would choose on their own. Almost all countries stopped their communist leaders at the first chance they got, which started a domino affect on the others. Of course, some countries were not ready for political change, but someday, they would be.
