An Analysis of Contribution of the USA to the Economic Collapse of the Soviet Union

Viktoria Vaneeva

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

In the given thesis some of the internal factors and especially external factors of the economic collapse of the Soviet Union are analysed. The external factors are represented as part of the anti-communist strategy of the United States in the 1980s. The strategy consisted of concrete economic sanctions and policies imposed by President Reagan and his administration in order to deteriorate the condition of the Soviet economy during the 1980s. Each of the steps against communist regime undertaken by the US is described and its impact on the Soviet economy is analysed. For example: the economic sanctions on the USSR after its invasion of Afghanistan in 1979; the increased military expenditures in the US in order to exhaust the Soviet economy in the arms race; the announced Strategic Defense Initiative; the secret negotiations between Reagan and the King of Saudi Arabia on reduction of oil prices in 1985; the US embargo on technology exports to the Soviet Union. The results of the research prove that strategy of President Reagan for economic destruction of communism contributed to the Soviet collapse in 1991.

Abstract:

In the given thesis some of the internal factors and especially external factors of the economic collapse of the Soviet Union are analysed. The external factors are represented as part of the anti-communist strategy of the United States in the 1980s. The strategy consisted of concrete economic sanctions and policies imposed by President Reagan and his administration in order to deteriorate the condition of the Soviet economy during the 1980s. Each of the steps against communist regime undertaken by the US is described and its impact on the Soviet economy is analysed. For example: the economic sanctions on the USSR after its invasion of Afghanistan in 1979; the increased military expenditures in the US in order to exhaust the Soviet economy in the arms race; the announced Strategic Defense Initiative; the secret negotiations between Reagan and the King of Saudi Arabia on reduction of oil prices in 1985; the US embargo on technology exports to the Soviet Union. The results of the research prove that strategy of President Reagan for economic destruction of communism contributed to the Soviet collapse in 1991.

Keywords

United States, Soviet Union, Perestroika, OPEC, Arms race, Cold War, War in Afghanistan

Keywords

Soviet Union, Perestroika, Arms race, OPEC, War in Afghanistan, Cold War, United States

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 6. 3. 2017

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 8. 6. 2017
• Supervisor: Zdenka Johnson
• Reader: Lukáš Máslo

Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze

Bachelor programme / field:
Ekonomie a hospodářská správa / Economics