However, the "Sinatra Doctrine" was first "exercised" in 1988-89, I believe; by then, most of the underpinnings of Communism had already been kicked away by Reagan.Originally posted by Rat Faced@16 June 2004 - 15:24
Gorbachev was talking about the Sinatra Doctrine long before Reagan was President and he was Premier.. he was advocating it in the 70's.
Quite frankly, Gorbachev deserves the credit for ending the Cold War, not Reagan... with a Premier that wanted reform and non intervention in Warsaw Pact countries it was a matter of time only before the Republics fell away from Russia.
Reagan just happened to be the President at the time, and (as any President would have) helped the Russians towards an Open Market instead of hindering them.
This is not to gave short-shrift to Gorby; he was visionary enough to see the end well before Brezhnev would have.
It is fact, though:
He needed Reagan to provide the reality-check.
Little known fact:
The term Sinatra Doctrine had it's origins with Gerasimov, not Shevardnadze.
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