End of the Cold War: 1989-1991 Milestones
End of the Cold War: Key Events (1989-1991)
Revolutions of 1989 and Shifting Power
The revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe were historic events with multiple resonances. Firstly, they marked the collapse of communist systems built after 1945. Secondly, they signified the end of the zone of influence that the USSR had built after the victory against Nazism, often referred to as the “Soviet empire”. The Cold War, the confrontation that had marked international relations since the end of the Second World War, ended in a way that nobody would have dared predict just a few years before the collapse and disintegration of one of the contenders. The end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union are two parallel events that radically changed the world.
Diplomatic Milestones Marking the Conclusion
Historians agree on the period when the Cold War concluded. Here are the major diplomatic events that marked the years 1989, 1990, and 1991:
The Malta Summit (December 1989)
For many, the Malta Summit between U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev marked the end of the Cold War. The two leaders met on the ship Maxim Gorky, anchored off the coast of Malta on December 2 and 3, 1989. Just weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the two leaders met to discuss the rapid changes Europe was experiencing. They officially announced the launch of a new era in international relations and an end to the tensions that defined the Cold War. Bush stated his intention to help the USSR integrate into the international community and called on U.S. businessmen to “help Mikhail Gorbachev.” Gorbachev solemnly proclaimed that “the world is ending an era of cold war (…) and initiating a prolonged period of peace.”
Charter of Paris (November 1990)
Others note that the end of the conflict took place on November 21, 1990, when the U.S., the USSR, and thirty other states participating in the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) signed the Charter of Paris. This document’s main purpose was to regulate international relations following the end of the Cold War. The Charter included a non-aggression pact between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. President Bush said after signing the document: “We have closed a chapter of history. The cold war is over.”
Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (1990)
Only two days before the Charter of Paris, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) was signed, mandating a strong reduction of troops and non-nuclear weapons on the continent. After negotiations began in Vienna in March 1989, it was agreed that both superpowers should reduce their troops in Europe to 195,000 men each. This was significant given the previous presence of approximately 600,000 Soviet soldiers and 350,000 American soldiers.
Further Confirmation and Disarmament
Gulf War Cooperation (1991)
On January 16, 1991, the U.S.-led international coalition began its attack to oust Iraqi invaders from Kuwait. Soviet support for UN sanctions, which eventually led to the outbreak of the Gulf War, was agreed upon at the Helsinki Summit held earlier on September 9, 1990, between Bush and Gorbachev. This support was a tangible example of the end of antagonism and demonstrated American influence.
Dissolution of the Warsaw Pact (July 1991)
On July 1, 1991, following the revolutions of 1989 and amidst the decomposition of the Soviet states, the “Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance” signed in Warsaw in 1955 – the Warsaw Pact – disappeared. NATO remained the only major military alliance in the world.
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties (START)
Finally, on July 31, 1991, Bush and Gorbachev signed the START I treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) in Moscow. This agreement was quickly surpassed the following year, on June 16, 1992, when Bush and the new Russian leader, Boris Yeltsin, signed START II. The two former enemies agreed to significant reductions in their nuclear arsenals.
A New World Order Emerges
In an extremely rapid process, the USSR and the U.S. ended the long struggle that began after the end of WWII. The order established at Yalta collapsed under the astonished gaze of the world in just a few months.