As an expert in modern history, I can provide an overview of the factors that led to the end of the Cold War. The Cold War, a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies, the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc, from the late 1940s to the early 1990s, ended due to a combination of economic, political, and social factors.


1. Economic Strain: The Soviet Union faced significant economic challenges, which were exacerbated by the arms race and the need to maintain a large military and support its satellite states.


2. Gorbachev's Reforms: Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985 and introduced policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), which aimed to reform the Soviet political and economic system.


3. Collapse of the Eastern Bloc: The reforms and a shift in Soviet policy led to a relaxation of control over Eastern European countries, which in turn sparked a series of peaceful revolutions.


4. Fall of the Berlin Wall: The iconic event in 1989 symbolized the end of the division between East and West and the beginning of the reunification of Germany.


5. Negotiations and Treaties: Diplomatic efforts, including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) signed by the US and the USSR in 1987, helped to reduce tensions.


6. Demise of the Soviet Union: The Soviet Union officially dissolved on December 26, 1991, marking the end of the Cold War.

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During 1989 and 1990, the Berlin Wall came down, borders opened, and free elections ousted Communist regimes everywhere in eastern Europe. In late 1991 the Soviet Union itself dissolved into its component republics. With stunning speed, the Iron Curtain was lifted and the Cold War came to an end.read more >>