Program or Course
HIS 697 Capstone Project
Academic Level at Time of Creation
Graduate
Date of Creation
Fall 10-14-2022
Abstract
The early 1980s, as described by Mikhail Gorbachev, were marked by escalating tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. Ronald Reagan's declaration of the Soviet Union as an "evil empire" in 1983 intensified geopolitical tension, notably followed by the Soviet Airforce mistakenly shooting down a civilian airliner. The release of "The Day After" highlighted the horrors of nuclear war, coinciding with a war scare during the Able Archer military exercise. These events underscored the dangers of Cold War paranoia and Reagan's foreign policy shortcomings, emphasizing the need for diplomacy to thaw relations and mitigate the threat of nuclear annihilation.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
DuBois, Andrew, "83 On the Brink The Dangers of Rhetoric in a Nuclear Armed World" (2022). Student Scholarship & Creative Works. 21.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/sscw/21