Quote

Without perestroika, the cold war simply would not have ended. But the world could not continue developing as it had, with the stark menace of nuclear war ever present.

— Mikhail Gorbachev

Sentiment: NEGATIVE

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✓Similar Perspectives

The only thing that kept the Cold War cold was the mutual deterrence afforded by nuclear weapons.

— Chung Mong-joon

The Cold War has ended for America.

— Joe Garcia

Look at what President Kennedy managed to achieve during the Cuban missile crisis. If Bush had been president in 1962, do you think he would have avoided a nuclear war?

— Bianca Jagger

Remember, we know the end of the story of World War II and the Cold War. But day by day, living in fear of the Nazis and then in fear of the Soviets, the outcome was by no means certain.

— Kit Bond

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, decisions made by President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev could have plunged both countries into thermonuclear war.

— Ronald Kessler

Sometimes people ask me why I began perestroika. Were the causes basically domestic or foreign? The domestic reasons were undoubtedly the main ones, but the danger of nuclear war was so serious that it was a no less significant factor.

— Mikhail Gorbachev

The Cold War is over but Cold War thinking survives.

— Joseph Rotblat

With hindsight, we see that the Soviet Union never had a chance of world domination, but we didn't know that then.

— Ken Follett

✗Opposing Perspectives

The Cold War was over long before it was officially declared dead.

— John le Carre

The politicians always told us that the Cold War stand-off could only change by way of nuclear war. None of them believed that such systemic change was possible.

— Lech Walesa