Dual Credit US History (DCUSH) Semester 2 Practice Test

During Reagan’s presidency, the relationship with the Soviet Union began to move from icy confrontation toward dialogue and bargaining. The thaw emerged as Mikhail Gorbachev introduced reforms and a more open approach, which opened the door to serious arms-control talks. A key milestone was the INF Treaty of 1987, which eliminated an entire class of missiles and reduced the immediacy of a European nuclear crisis. The era also featured several high-level summits—Reykjavik and Moscow among them—that, while not solving every dispute, built a framework for cooperation and signaling a shared interest in ending the Cold War. By 1989, the tone and negotiations had shifted toward lessened hostility and greater cooperation, even as tensions persisted on other issues like human rights and regional conflicts. The statement that all disputes were resolved and nuclear arsenals were destroyed overstates what actually occurred; the relationship improved and arms-control progress was made, but final peace and complete disarmament did not happen by that time.