Reagan and Gorbachev : How the Cold War Ended

Reagan and Gorbachev : How the Cold War Ended Jack F. Matlock, Jr. Date: 20 July, 2004   —   $17.61   —   Book product page Rating:

[A] Soviet leadership devoted to improving its people's lives, rather than expanding its armed conquests, will find a sympathetic partner in the West. - President Ronald Reagan

The myth has grown up in conservative circles that Reagan ended the cold war by riding into Moscow on a white horse with guns blazing and shouting, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

For those of us who were around during the Reagan administration, Matlock's book is a more accurate representation. The book covers Matlock's role in negotiations and policy formulation from his position on Reagan's National Security Council and later as ambassador to the Soviet Union.

The interesting thing for me is that Reagan was actively trying to shore up the Soviet government rather than tear it down. He never wanted the chaos that disintegration of the Soviet Union would create. Instead, Reagan worked to make the Soviet Union a peaceful partner that respected human rights, much the same way we're working with China now. The actual collapse of the Soviet Union - as opposed to the end of the Cold War - was never a Reagan objective despite the tales neo-conservatives have been spinning after the fact.

It's also interesting how Matlock is carrying on the feud between the hawks in the Reagan administration and the diplomats. In one paragraph, he'll have you believe Reagan was a super diplomat always one step ahead of Gorbachev, but in the next he'll say things went wrong because Reagan was swayed by the hawks. I don't think you can have it both ways as many times as Matlock wants it, and I'm sure Weinberger and Casey have a totally opposite viewpoint. But Matlock's account mostly tracks with the way I remember things at the time.

And it was WAY freaky to find out that Reagan actually offered to co-develop and share Star Wars technology with the Soviet Union. Even Gorbachev shot him down on that one,

"Excuse me Mr. President," [Gorbachev] said, voice rising, "but I cannot take your idea of sharing SDI seriously. You are not willing to share with us oil well equipment, digitally guided machine tools, or even milking machines. Sharing SDI would provoke a second American revolution! Let's be realistic and pragmatic."

It's a fascinating behind the scenes look at the end of the Cold War (again, not to be confused with the actual collapse of the Soviet Union) that draws on US sources as well as Soviet notes and interviews. You get a pretty good view from both sides of the negotiations, and you get a more accurate, though less black and white, account of Reagan's relationship with the Soviet Union and Gorbachev. Good stuff, but slightly flawed because Matlock obviously has an axe to grind with some of his old colleagues.