- Increased Defense Spending: Reagan significantly increased the defense budget of the United States, leading to the modernization and expansion of the country's military capabilities. This signaled a shift in the balance of power and put pressure on the Soviet Union to match the spending, straining its economy.
- Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): Also known as "Star Wars," Reagan proposed a comprehensive missile defense system that aimed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles. The concept challenged the苏联's strategic deterrence based on mutually assured destruction (MAD) and forced them to consider new defense approaches.
- Arms Control Negotiations: Reagan engaged in arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union, particularly through the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) treaty. The negotiations focused on reducing the number of nuclear weapons and establishing verification mechanisms.
- Support for Anti-Soviet Movements: Reagan supported anti-Soviet movements and dissidents within the Soviet Union and its satellite countries in Eastern Europe. This included covert funding and assistance to groups that opposed communist rule.
- Rhetoric and Symbolic Actions: Reagan used strong rhetoric, such as referring to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire" and calling for its eventual dismantling. He also made symbolic gestures, such as visiting the Berlin Wall and delivering a speech challenging the Soviets to "tear down this wall."
- Economic Pressure: Reagan implemented trade restrictions and sanctions against the Soviet Union, aiming to weaken its economy further. These measures also aimed to limit the Soviet Union's access to technology and financial resources.
Overall, Reagan's combination of military buildup, arms control negotiations, support for anti-Soviet movements, and economic sanctions contributed to the pressure on the Soviet Union, contributing to the eventual collapse of the communist system in Eastern Europe and the dissolution of the Soviet Union itself.