Study Questions

James Mann
The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan:
A History of the End of the Cold War

Ronald Reagan has been a controversial figure since he entered politics in the early 1960s, and he left a legacy that is no less contentious. Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, which his admirers credit to Reagan's Presidency, James Mann uses all the information available to him to determine exactly how the Cold War came to an end. Along the way, readers learn a good deal about the personality, ideology, and governing style of a pivotal President.

Note that the sections function somewhat independently of each other and go over the same events from different perspectives. If you find yourself unsure about events and their sequence, please refer to the chronology at the beginning of the book.

  1. Who were Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, and how did they view foreign affairs in general and relations with the Soviet Union in particular? What did they think about Reagan and his foreign policy? About Gorbachev and his policies? Contrast their view with that of Ronald Reagan. How did Reagan view Communism, and what events of his life influenced his understanding of Communist countries? How did his attitude about nuclear weapons differ from Nixon, Kissinger, and other conservatives?

  2. Reagan got elected twice as a fervent anti-Communist and Cold Warrior. How and why did his views change? Who was Suzanne Massie? What was her understanding of Russia, and why did her way of thinking appeal so strongly to Reagan? Why did Reagan's advisors cut off her access to the President?

  3. Today one of Reagan's most famous speeches was his "Tear down this wall" speech in Berlin in 1987. Why did the speech incite so much controversy within the Administration? Who wrote it, and who opposed it? How did Reagan's speeches typically get written? Explain the continuing friction between the speechwriters and the State Department. Why "Mr. Gorbachev" and not "Mr. Honecker"? Describe the reaction of these groups to the speech: West Berliners; West Germans; East Germans: Soviets; and Americans. How did it strengthen Reagan's hand domestically?

  4. So much of importance happened at the summits between Reagan and Gorbachev. What happened at the Iceland summit that changed so dramatically the relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union? What was the significance of the later summits in Washington and, especially, Moscow? How did the INF treaty come about, and why did Reagan have such a hard time convincing his own party to ratify it? Overall, how did conservatives like Nixon, Kissinger, Quayle, and even Vice President Bush react to Reagan's summits and relationship with Gorbachev? In retrospect, an extremely important moment was George Schultz's presentation to Gorbachev on globalization. Explain how that turned out to be a turning point. Describe the personal relationship between Reagan and Gorbachev, and what each thought about the other.

  5. Describe Reagan as a person. What were his special gifts, and what were his most glaring weaknesses as President? What roles did he take as President, and what roles did he leave for others? Why was speechmaking one of the most important and successful part of his leadership? What quirks could annoy people (like Gorbachev) who worked with him? Why would his staff and advisor sometimes cringe during Reagan's meetings with Gorbachev and others? Why did Reagan appear at his best when he was scripted and in planned situations? How might Alzheimer's have possibly affected the end of his presidency?

  6. How did the Cold War end, and the Berlin Wall fall? How did the George H. W. Bush administration almost prevent these events from happening? In the end, who does Mann say gets credit for ending the Cold War? What did Reagan do to help end the Cold War, and more specifically, what myths about his role have little or no foundation? Why is the book entitled "The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan"?

For further, more recent information on the fall of the Berlin Wall, on the occasion of the event's twentieth anniversary, see "In The End, Fall Of Berlin Wall Was Gorbachev's Call"; "Eyewitness To History: The Fall Of The Berlin Wall" (with photos); and for European reactions, "1989: Remembering The Fall Of The Berlin Wall."