1980
• December 13: Martial law in Poland to crush Solidarity movement.
1981
• January 20: Ronald Reagan becomes US President.
1982
• June: Start of START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) in Geneva.
1983
• Pershing and Cruise missiles placed in West Europe.
• March 23: Announcement of the US ‘Strategic Defence Initiative’ or ‘Star Wars’.
1985
• March 12: Gorbachev becomes leader of USSR.
1986
• October 2: USSR-USA summit at Reykjavik.
1987
• December: USSR-US summit as Washington: US and USSR agree to remove medium range missiles from Europe.
1988
• February: Soviet troops begin to pull out of Afghanistan.
• July 6: In a speech to the UN, Gorbachev repudiates the Brezhnev Doctrine, encourages free elections and ends the Arms Race, in practice ending the Cold War; democracies emerge across Eastern Europe.
• December 8: INF Treaty, includes removal of medium range missiles from Europe.
1989
• March: Multi-candidate elections in the USSR.
• June: Elections in Poland.
• September: Hungary allows GDR ‘holidaymakers’ through border with West.
• November 9: Berlin Wall falls.
1990s
1990
• August 12: GDR announces desire to merge with FRG.
• September 12: Two Plus Four treaty signed by FRG, GDR. US, UK, Russia and France: cancels remaining rights of former occupying powers in FRG.
• October 3: German Reunification.
1991
• July 1: START Treaty signed by US and USSR reducing nuclear weapons.
• December 26: USSR dissolved.
