Existing comment:
The Soviets and SDI:
Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative confounded the Soviet Union. Soviet scientists suspected the system would be extremely difficult and expensive to field. But they feared that it might be possible and could bring the United States a shield against nuclear missiles as well as a powerful first-strike capability and rationale.
Mikhail Gorbachev tried repeatedly to persuade President Reagan to abandon SDI, without success. The unknowable effect of SDI ultimately helped convince Gorbachev to end the arms race and agree to reductions in nuclear weapons. |