Dems in the White House at the End of the Cold War

In 1988, George HW Bush was elected. By the end of his singular, caretaker term, the Soviet Union was no more.

Praise was lauded on his and the previous Reagan administration for straining the Soviets with their military build up and bringing about the end of the Red Menace.

Few people in 1988-1991 thought the end was so near. Most saw the strains that the USSR was facing, and thought the end of the Cold War was near. But the total and absolute demise of the USSR was unexpected, especially by the Bush White House, who had been putting all of their eggs in the Gorbachev basket.

The Bush White House attempted to treat the Soviet Union as a new partner on the world stage, the 'New World Order' originally being US-USSR cooperation on international issues.

How would this all differ with Democrats in the White House?

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Would the Reagan Administration still get so much credit?

Would a Democratc support Gorbachev as much as Bush did?

Is there a chance that the New Union Treaty or a different agreement saves some of the structure?

Would NATO be preserved?

Could the fall be used by a Democratic administration to open up to Cuba?
 
ONe issue that springs to mind was the Soviet attempts to resist German reunification.

I still remember seeing the headline "Bush dismisses Soviet concerns over Reunification."

THat was GLORIOUS!!:D

A Democrat might have been more open to their concerns, on that issue.
 
ONe issue that springs to mind was the Soviet, French and British attempts to resist German reunification.

I still remember seeing the headline "Bush dismisses Soviet concerns over Reunification."

THat was GLORIOUS!!:D

A Democrat might have been more open to their concerns, on that issue.

Fixed that for you.
 
Really?

Fixed that for you.

I always thought French President Jacques Chirac was the biggest champion of Germany's unification behind the West Herman government themselves to strengthen the Eurozone and create a bipolar (lol did it ever) counterbalance to the UK in the region.

Perhaps with a Democrat administration the US won't be in the busy of trying to demand the Soviet Union reforms economically while demanding 'shock therapy' from any socialist country that has loaned from the IMF. But perhaps that's a pipe dream considering how inconsistently the Carter administration treated their 'close ally' the Iranian Shah regime. I just think it would be real-polotik as usual.
 
I always thought French President Jacques Chirac was the biggest champion of Germany's unification behind the West Herman government themselves to strengthen the Eurozone and create a bipolar (lol did it ever) counterbalance to the UK in the region.

Perhaps with a Democrat administration the US won't be in the busy of trying to demand the Soviet Union reforms economically while demanding 'shock therapy' from any socialist country that has loaned from the IMF. But perhaps that's a pipe dream considering how inconsistently the Carter administration treated their 'close ally' the Iranian Shah regime. I just think it would be real-polotik as usual.

Chirac wasn't in office at the time of Reunification, it was Mitterand. One of the few things (there were actually more than a few) that he and Mrs Thatcher agreed on was that a united Germany wasn't in their interests.
 
Chirac wasn't in office at the time of Reunification, it was Mitterand. One of the few things (there were actually more than a few) that he and Mrs Thatcher agreed on was that a united Germany wasn't in their interests.

I stand corrected on leadership but it's still apparent that the French government at the time still favored a United Germany, as long as they agreed to fully join the European Community. It seems according to this article and BBC's Rise and Fall of the Euro show that Mitterand and Kolh were already preparing for European Union with France and a unified Germany in full agreement. The issue that made Mitterand worried was Bon's inatistence on having a more unilateral fiscal and military policy.

But that makes me wonder do you think a different administration would be open to pleas for Germany not to be unified?
 
I don't think Dukakis would warned against suicidal nationalism as Bush did. I think he greets the break up of the Soviet Union with more enthusiasm. I doubt any American leader would oppose the reunification of Germany.
 
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