The Human Factor: Gorbachev, Reagan, and Thatcher, and the End of the Cold War (117)

The Cold War got colder in the early 1980s and the relationship between the two military superpowers, the USA and the Soviet Union, each of whom had the capacity to annihilate the other, was tense. By the end of the decade, East-West relations had been utterly transformed, with most of the dividing lines -including the division of Europe- removed. 

We are here with Archie Brown, Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Oxford, a Fellow of the British Academy, and an International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

He is the author of numerous books including his latest work , The Human Factor, Gorbachev, Reagan, and Thatcher, and the End of the Cold War arguing the engagement between Gorbachev and Reagan was a crucial part of that process of change. More surprising was Margaret Thatcher's role. 

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Back to today’s episode, we start by talking about Archie’s’ time as a British Council exchange scholar at Moscow State University for a year between 1967 and 1968. We welcome Archie Brown to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode117/ 

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