고르바초프의 '신사고'와 냉전 체제의 종식

This essay aims to examine how Gorbachev’s ‘New Thinking’ brought about the end of the Cold War in 1989. Some analysts and politicians claim that Soviet economic stagnation and the West’s growing technological-military challenge forced the Soviet Union to retreat from empire abroad and reforms to the economy at home, which eventually led to the end of the Cold War. This kind of explanation, however, underestimates the Gorbachev’s leadership and his ‘New Thinking.’ Even though Soviet economic decline during the latter part of the Brezhnev’s era gave an impetus its adoption in policy, it did not determine its emergence. The roots of New Thinking can be found in some reformist ideas during the Khrushchev's ‘Thaw.’ Gorbachev has kept in contact with some of intellectuals and the state-party officials who held these ideas, since he was a high party official in his native place. As soon as he came into power in USSR in 1985, he earnestly began to apply his new ideas to the international politics. He appointed new thinkers to important posts for foreign affairs, utilizing his power as the top leader. Moreover, he took the lead in improving the tense relations between the Soviet Union and the West, particularly the USA. He did not even try to intervene in East European politics, when the communist governments in the area collapsed in 1989. In this respect, New Thinking was not instrumental but normative for Gorbachev who wanted the end of the Cold War.