On December 25, 1991 the USSR officially dissolved, breaking up into fifteen separate nations. The Cold War was over. The Cold War had lasted around 50 years and and according to a New York Times editorial, consumed 29 percent of all military spending and 11 percent of all Federal Government spending. Most historians point to 1945 as the start of the Cold War as the Untied States and the Soviet Union turned to face each other after defeating Hitler and Japan. And by 1947 President Truman formerly announced that it was a United States policy to stop Soviet expansion (aka Truman Doctrine). Then for the next 30 years, space became the theater of defense, and the ground a stage for proxy wars as America tried to defend itself and contain the spread of communism. By the 1985, the Soviet economy was stagnant and faced a sharp fall in currency earnings as a result of the falling oil prices. Mikhail Gorbachev announced economic reforms to allow private ownership of businesses, effectively redirecting the country's resources from Cold War military commitments to more productive areas in the civilian sector. In response to this, President Reagan renewed talks on economic issues and the scaling-back of the arms race. Meanwhile, Polish solidarity groups were forming the first post-war non-communist governments in Poland and Hungary. Then the Berlin Wall was demolished allowing unrestricted migration to West Germany. Gorbachev's Soviet Union stars were falling from space, and it's walls were collapsing on the ground. On December 3, 1989 Gorbachev and President George H.W. Bush declared the Cold War to be over at the Malta Summit. The USSR began to crumble from within, and was fatally weakened by a failed group and a growing number of Soviet republics, particularly Russia, who threatened to seceded from the USSR. The USSR was officially dissolved on December 25, 1991.
America had won the Cold War, but America was consumed by the news of a recession. On October 19th, 1987 stock markets around the world crashed. On what became to be known as "Black Monday", the U.S. Down Jones Industrial Average lost over 22% of its value. The American housing market was falling, and many banks were going bankrupt. The cold war was over, but America didn't even notice. It was a time to celebrate, but many Americans were not in the mood. President Bush shared this mood with Americans, but in his 1992 state of the union address, he reminded them that it was a great victory.
"Even as President, with the most fascinating possible vantage point, there were times when I was so busy managing progress and helping to lead change that I didn't always show the joy that was in my heart. But the biggest thing that has happened in the world in my life, in our lives, is this: By the grace of God, America won the cold war."But, it was an election year, and economy was still issue number one. As President Bush prepared for his final state of the union, anticipation was high. They weren't expecting celebratory words, rather they were waiting to hear what the President would say about the economy. In particular, they were anticipating his words on cutting taxes. Those words would come later, but first Bush used this victory as sign of hope for the economy. America no longer had an "avowed enemy that was a superpower". Now America could look homeward "to set right what needs to be set right." Bush gave much credit to the many men and women who gave their lives in service, but he also wanted to thank the American taxpayer. They footed the bill, and for the first time in 35 years, they too can take a sigh of relief (and hopefully re-elect George H. W. Bush for a second term).
"And there's another to be singled out, though it may seem inelegant, and I mean a mass of people called the American taxpayer. No one ever thinks to thank the people who pay a country's bill or an alliance's bill. But for half a century now, the American people have shouldered the burden and paid taxes that were higher than they would have been to support a defense that was bigger than it would have been if imperial communism had never existed. But it did; doesn't anymore. And here's a fact I wouldn't mind the world acknowledging: The American taxpayer bore the brunt of the burden and deserves a hunk of the glory.
So now, for the first time in 35 years, our strategic bombers stand down. No longer are they on 'round-the-clock alert. Tomorrow our children will go to school and study history and how plants grow. And they won't have, as my children did, air raid drills in which they crawl under their desks and cover their heads in case of nuclear war. My grandchildren don't have to do that and won't have the bad dreams children had once, in decades past. There are still threats. But the long, drawn-out dread is over."
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). George Bush: Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=20544 [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].Early, C. and Early, C. (2018). December 3, 1989: Gorbachev and Bush declare Cold War over at Malta summit. [online] BT.com. Available at: http://home.bt.com/news/world-news/december-3-1989-gorbachev-and-bush-declare-cold-war-over-at-malta-summit-11363947495279 [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].
Vm136.lib.berkeley.edu. (2018). 1990-92 Early 1990s Recession - Timeline - Slaying the Dragon of Debt - Regional Oral History Office - University of California, Berkeley. [online] Available at: http://vm136.lib.berkeley.edu/BANC/ROHO/projects/debt/1990srecession.html [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].
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