Tensions of the Cold War
Weighing the Evidence
All documents and text associated with this activity are printed below, followed by a worksheet for student responses.Introduction
As a student, you will be viewing primary resources that relate to the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. These resources contain documents, photographs and video clips from the Presidencies of Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Carter and Reagan. As you work through the resources, you will be assessing whether the resource represents one of two basic concepts/ideas. Does the resource display growing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union or does the resource display lessening tension between the United States and the Soviet Union? Keep this in mind, as you will be required to place resources in one of these two categories and summarize your findings at the conclusion.Name:
Class:
Class:
Worksheet
Tensions of the Cold War
Weighing the Evidence
Examine the documents and text included in this activity. Consider how each document does or does not support two opposing interpretations or conclusions. Fill in the topic or interpretations if they are not provided. To show how the documents support the different interpretations, enter the corresponding document number into the boxes near the interpretation. Write your conclusion response in the space provided. Interpretation 1
Events that displayed rising tensions between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Events that displayed rising tensions between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Tensions between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War (1945-1991)
Interpretation 2
Events that displayed lessened tensions between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Events that displayed lessened tensions between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War.
1
Activity Element
Churchill, Truman, and Stalin
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2
Activity Element
Civil Defense Poster
Page 1
3
Activity Element
Draft statement by President Eisenhower on Joseph Stalin
Page 1
4
Activity Element
Nixon "Kitchen" Debate: Nixon-Khrushchev Moscow Debate
Page 2
5
Activity Element
Kennedy Address on Cuba
Page 2
6
Activity Element
Photograph of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Midnight Address on Second Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Page 1
7
Activity Element
President Nixon meets with China's Communist Party Leader, Mao Tse- Tung
Page 1
8
Activity Element
We Are Afghanistan
Page 2
9
Activity Element
Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
Page 17
10
Activity Element
Photograph of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev at the first Summit in Geneva
Page 1
11
Activity Element
Letter from Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev (English version)
Page 1
12
Activity Element
Photograph of President Reagan giving a speech at the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Federal Republic of Germany
Page 1
13
Activity Element
Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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14
Activity Element
Photograph of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev signing the INF Treaty in the East Room of the White House
Page 2
15
Activity Element
Photograph of The Reagans and Gorbachevs at the White House State Dinner
Page 1
16
Activity Element
President Bush and President Gorbachev sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in the Kremlin in Moscow, Soviet Union
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Conclusion
Tensions of the Cold War
Weighing the Evidence
Now that you have had a chance to view and read all of the primary resources, you must now decide which resources support evidence of growing tensions between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. and which support evidence of lessening tensions between the two countries. Once you have successfully placed resources in their appropriate categories, and can support your decisions with a valid argument, summarize significant events that led to decreased tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, and ultimately to the end of the Cold War in 1991.Your Response
Document
Churchill, Truman, and Stalin
7/25/1945
Full Title - Left to Right, seated: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, U. S. President Harry S. Truman, and Soviet Union Prime Minister Josef Stalin in garden of the Cecilienhof Palace during the Potsdam Conference in Potsdam, Germany. At far left is an unidentified Russian General. At far right are Ambassador Gousev, Soviet Ambassador to Great Britain, and Gen. Harry Vaughan
This primary source comes from the Collection HST-AVC: Audiovisual Collection.
National Archives Identifier: 198685
Full Citation: Churchill, Truman, and Stalin ; 7/25/1945; Collection HST-AVC: Audiovisual Collection, . [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/churchill-truman-and-stalin, May 4, 2024]Churchill, Truman, and Stalin
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Document
Civil Defense Poster
1953
This public service advertisement, produced by the Advertisement Council in 1953, illustrates Cold War fears of atomic war. It advises people on what supplies to have on hand in case of a nuclear attack.
This primary source comes from the Collection DDE-1019: James M. Lambie Jr. Records.
National Archives Identifier: 594366
Full Citation: Civil Defense Poster; 1953; Civil Defense - General 1954; Personal Files of James M. Lambie Jr., 1952 - 1961; Collection DDE-1019: James M. Lambie Jr. Records, ; Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, KS. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/civil-defense-poster, May 4, 2024]Civil Defense Poster
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Document
Draft statement by President Eisenhower on Joseph Stalin
3/4/1953
This document relates to Joseph Stalin.
This primary source comes from the Collection DDE-EPRES: Eisenhower, Dwight D.: Papers as President of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 186516
Full Citation: Draft statement by President Eisenhower on Joseph Stalin; 3/4/1953; Collection DDE-EPRES: Eisenhower, Dwight D.: Papers as President of the United States, . [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/draft-statement-by-president-eisenhower-on-joseph-stalin, May 4, 2024]Draft statement by President Eisenhower on Joseph Stalin
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Document
Nixon 'Kitchen' Debate: Nixon-Khrushchev Moscow Debate
7/24/1959
This news report covers the debate between U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. It was called the Kitchen Debate because the two men talked, through interpreters, inside a model American kitchen inside a model house at the American National Exhibition that was being held in Moscow.
You can also watch this video in our main National Archives online catalog.
You can also watch this video in our main National Archives online catalog.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Information Agency.
National Archives Identifier: 48887
Full Citation: Motion Picture 306.2520; Nixon 'Kitchen' Debate: Nixon-Khrushchev Moscow Debate; 7/24/1959; Moving Images Relating to U.S. Domestic and International Activities , 1982 - 1999; Records of the U.S. Information Agency, ; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/kitchen-debate, May 4, 2024]Nixon 'Kitchen' Debate: Nixon-Khrushchev Moscow Debate
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Document
Kennedy Address on Cuba
10/22/1962
In this film created by the U.S. Information Agency, President John F. Kennedy discusses Cuba. You can also watch this video in our main National Archives online catalog.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Information Agency.
National Archives Identifier: 51510
Full Citation: Motion Picture 306.5292; Kennedy Address on Cuba; 10/22/1962; Moving Images Relating to U.S. Domestic and International Activities , 1982 - 1999; Records of the U.S. Information Agency, ; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/kennedy-address-cuba, May 4, 2024]Kennedy Address on Cuba
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Document
Photograph of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Midnight Address on Second Gulf of Tonkin Incident
8/4/1964
This photograph shows President Lyndon B. Johnson, speaking from behind a podium in the Fish Room of the White House, reporting to the American people following renewed aggression in the Gulf of Tonkin.
President Johnson interrupted television broadcasts just before midnight on August 4 to announce American ships had been attacked twice in international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin near North Vietnam. He gave no hint of some doubts he had expressed in a recorded conversation earlier that day. The following morning, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was introduced in the Senate.
In his address, the President assured the country, “we still seek no wider war.” By the end of the following year, 180,000 American troops were in Vietnam.
President Johnson interrupted television broadcasts just before midnight on August 4 to announce American ships had been attacked twice in international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin near North Vietnam. He gave no hint of some doubts he had expressed in a recorded conversation earlier that day. The following morning, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was introduced in the Senate.
In his address, the President assured the country, “we still seek no wider war.” By the end of the following year, 180,000 American troops were in Vietnam.
This primary source comes from the Collection LBJ-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection.
National Archives Identifier: 192482
Full Citation: Photograph 311-1-WH64; Photograph of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Midnight Address on Second Gulf of Tonkin Incident; 8/4/1964; Johnson White House Photographs, 11/22/1963 - 1/20/1969; Collection LBJ-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection, ; Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, Austin, TX. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/lbj-midnight-address, May 4, 2024]Photograph of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Midnight Address on Second Gulf of Tonkin Incident
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Document
President Nixon meets with China's Communist Party Leader, Mao Tse- Tung
2/29/1972
Pictured: Mao Tse-Tung, President Richard M. Nixon. Subject: Trip to China.
This primary source comes from the Collection RN-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection (Nixon Administration).
National Archives Identifier: 194759
Full Citation: President Nixon meets with China's Communist Party Leader, Mao Tse- Tung; 2/29/1972; Collection RN-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection (Nixon Administration), . [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/nixon-mao, May 4, 2024]President Nixon meets with China's Communist Party Leader, Mao Tse- Tung
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Document
We Are Afghanistan
1984
This video was created by the U.S. Information Agency. The original description for it reads: "We are Afghanistan" is a study of the situation inside and outside Afghanistan five years after the Soviet invasion.
You can also watch it in our main National Archives online catalog.
You can also watch it in our main National Archives online catalog.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Information Agency.
National Archives Identifier: 54995
Full Citation: Video Recording 306.9990; We Are Afghanistan; 1984; AB26997; Moving Images Relating to U.S. Domestic and International Activities , 1982 - 1999; Records of the U.S. Information Agency, ; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/we-are-afghanistan, May 4, 2024]We Are Afghanistan
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Document
Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
3/8/1983
Draft of the address that became popularly known as the "Evil Empire" speech. This draft is heavily edited by Ronald Reagan, in his handwriting.
This primary source comes from the Collection RR-WHORM: White House Office of Records Management File Systems (White House Central Files).
National Archives Identifier: 198500
Full Citation: Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983; 3/8/1983; Collection RR-WHORM: White House Office of Records Management File Systems (White House Central Files), . [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/presidential-address-national-association-of-evangelicals-orlando-florida-tuesday-march-8-1983, May 4, 2024]Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Presidential Address: National Association of Evangelicals, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, March 8, 1983
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Document
Photograph of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev at the first Summit in Geneva
11/19/1985
Additional details from our exhibits and publications
President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, Geneva, Switzerland.
This primary source comes from the Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection.
National Archives Identifier: 75854433
Full Citation: C31982-11; Photograph of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev at the first Summit in Geneva; 11/19/1985; Reagan White House Photographs, January 20, 1981–January 20, 1989; Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection, ; Ronald Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/photograph-of-president-reagan-and-general-secretary-gorbachev-at-the-first-summit-in-geneva, May 4, 2024]Photograph of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev at the first Summit in Geneva
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Document
Letter from Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev (English version)
11/28/1985
Handwritten draft by Ronald Reagan, re the aftermath of the 1985 Geneva Summit.
Additional details from our exhibits and publications
President Ronald Reagan handwrote this letter on November 28, 1985. In it, he expresses his desire for a more constructive relationship to Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The President had just met with Gorbachev in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 19.
This primary source comes from the Executive Secretariat, National Security Council: Records.
National Archives Identifier: 198162
Full Citation: Letter from Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev (English version); 11/28/1985; Executive Secretariat, National Security Council: Records, . [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-from-ronald-reagan-to-mikhail-gorbachev-english-version, May 4, 2024]Letter from Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev (English version)
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Letter from Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev (English version)
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Letter from Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev (English version)
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Letter from Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev (English version)
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Letter from Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev (English version)
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Document
President Reagan Giving a Speech at the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Federal Republic of Germany
6/12/1987
This photograph shows President Ronald Reagan giving a speech in front of the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate in the Federal Republic of Germany. Reagan covered such topics as the removal of the Berlin Wall, East-West relations, and arms control. This famous speech is known for the line "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
This primary source comes from the Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection.
National Archives Identifier: 75855517
Full Citation: C41247-10; President Reagan Giving a Speech at the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Federal Republic of Germany; 6/12/1987; Reagan White House Photographs, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989; Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection, ; Ronald Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/reagan-brandenburg-gate, May 4, 2024]President Reagan Giving a Speech at the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Federal Republic of Germany
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Document
Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
6/12/1987
In June 1987, President Ronald Reagan spoke at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. This page from President Reagan’s speaking copy of his remarks includes his call to Soviet President Michael Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall.” Selected pages are shown.
This primary source comes from the White House Office of Records Management File Systems (White House Central Files).
National Archives Identifier: 198491
Full Citation: Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]; 6/12/1987; White House Office of Records Management File Systems (White House Central Files), . [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/remarks-at-brandenberg-gate-berlin-germany-[presidents-speaking-copy], May 4, 2024]Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Remarks at Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany [President's Speaking Copy]
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Document
Photograph of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev signing the INF Treaty in the East Room of the White House
12/8/1987
This primary source comes from the Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection.
National Archives Identifier: 75855867
Full Citation: C44071-15A; Photograph of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev signing the INF Treaty in the East Room of the White House; 12/8/1987; Reagan White House Photographs, January 20, 1981–January 20, 1989; Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection, ; Ronald Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/photograph-of-president-reagan-and-general-secretary-gorbachev-signing-the-inf-treaty-in-the-east-room-of-the-white-house, May 4, 2024]Photograph of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev signing the INF Treaty in the East Room of the White House
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Document
President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan with Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev at The White House State Dinner
12/8/1987
This primary source comes from the Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection.
National Archives Identifier: 198589
Full Citation: C44119-16; President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan with Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev at The White House State Dinner; 12/8/1987; Reagan White House Photographs, January 20, 1981–January 20, 1989; Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection, ; Ronald Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/reagans-and-gorbachevs-white-house-state-dinner, May 4, 2024]President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan with Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev at The White House State Dinner
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Document
President Bush and President Gorbachev sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in the Kremlin in Moscow, Soviet Union
7/31/1991
This primary source comes from the Records of the White House Photograph Office.
National Archives Identifier: 186435
Full Citation: President Bush and President Gorbachev sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in the Kremlin in Moscow, Soviet Union; 7/31/1991; Records of the White House Photograph Office, . [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/president-bush-and-president-gorbachev-sign-the-strategic-arms-reduction-treaty-start-in-the-kremlin-in-moscow-soviet-union, May 4, 2024]President Bush and President Gorbachev sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in the Kremlin in Moscow, Soviet Union
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