The Collapse of Communism
Reagan's Policies and Challenges to the Soviet Union
President Ronald Reagan took office on January 20, 1981. During his time in office, Reagan did not want to contain communism, he wanted to defeat communism. He recognized that communism was not an efficient economic system, and took steps to exploit that weakness. Reagan increased the defense budget and supported several anti-communism efforts to put economic pressure on the Soviet Union. Reagan even went as far as to challenge Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. In this interactivity, you will learn about Reagan’s policies and his challenges to the Soviet Union. Click the player button to begin.
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Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was a radio announcer and actor who began developing his leadership as president of the Screen Actors Guild. Once he gained leadership experience, Reagan represented California as the Republican governor. In 1980, Reagan ran for president and defeated Democrat Jimmy Carter. Watch Ronald Reagan – 60-Second Presidents from eMediaVASM to learn about the fortieth president of the United States.
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was on the brink of collapse near the end of the Cold War. In an effort to put pressure on the Soviet Union, President Reagan cut taxes while increasing defense spending. To stay in competition with the United States, the Soviet Union also increased defense spending. With a weak economy and rising nationalism, the Soviet Union collapsed. In this interactivity, learn about the struggles facing the Soviet Union and its eventual collapse. Click the player button to begin.
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The Collapse of Communism Review
Now that you have completed your investigation of the collapse of communism, complete this activity to test your knowledge. In this non-graded interactivity, read the question and select the correct answer. Click the player button to get started.