Reagan Library Album Dismantling Communism
The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 to keep people in the Soviet section of
Berlin from fleeing communism.  People who tried to cross the wall were
shot.  President Reagan in the course of bringing down Communism was
continuously pointing out the fallacy of communism.  The speech at the
Brandenburg Gate is one example.
Some of the dictators in power at the time President Reagan entered
office in 1981.  Three Soviet leaders died in President Reagan's first term.
President Reagan's speech on
June 12, 1987 at the Brandenburg
Gate asking Gorbachev to tear
down the wall.  The wall was taken
down on November 9, 1989.
In 1980 when President Reagan was elected the Soviet Union was
expanding by taking over multiple countries almost every year.  
One third of the people of the world lived under communism.  In
1980 the Soviet Union was militarily active to overthrow the
governments in Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia and Nicaragua.  
The Cold War was being lost.
President Reagan started by strengthening the military.  He
believed by negotiating from strength and building a relationship
with the Soviet leaders he could bring down communism.  He also
worked with Prime Minister Thatcher and Pope John Paul in a
coordinated effort to bring down communism.
The first summit with the Soviet
leader Gorbachev was in Geneva
on November 19, 1985.  President
Reagan began building a
relationship with Gorbochev.
The second summit with the Soviet
leader Gorbachev was in Reykjavik
on Oct. 10 & 11, 1986.  It was at this
summit they made the most
progress toward disarmament.
The third summit with the Soviet
leader Gorbachev was in
Washington on Dec. 8 & 10, 1987.
The fourth summit with Gorbachev was
in Moscow on May 29, 1988.  The Cold
War ends.  All Soviet satellite countries
were free by 1991.  Nuclear weapons
were reduced by 38% in the US and 53%
in the Soviet Union by 1991.  The Soviet
Union is now Russia.
As America's military improved President Reagan
continued his quest to bring down Communism by next
developing a relationship with the Soviet Premier
Gorbachev.  He did it wth 4 summit meetings.
President Reagan was continuously putting pressure on Soviet Premier
Gorbachev both in speeches and in meetings.  This is an excerpt from
President Reagan's personal diary from Page 612 on May 28, 1988 when
the two met at the Moscow Summit:

Breakfast at 9:30 AM after a fair niight's sleep.  Then at 11 AM a meeting in
the "box"--that's a leak proof room--no bugs etc.  Geo. S., Colin P., Ken D.,
Tom Grisom & Roz Ridgeway plus our Ambas. to the Soviet U. Jack
Matlock.  We discussed the first meeting tomorrow which will be a 1 on
1--me and Gorby.  I'm going to tackle him on religious freedom--not as a
deal with us but as a suggestion to him as an answer to some of his
problems.

Then lunch & back to the box.  Same cast & wider range of discussion on
what we hope to accomplish.

Then some homework with the manual they've prepared for me.  Nancy
had another massage.

Dinner in front of the TV again watching the tape of Am. TV news & then to
bed.
Timetable of major events
concerning the USSR.