The Natioanal Security Archive - 5 Documents: Record of Conversation between Thatcher and Gorbachev from 1987 and 1989!
… Conclusion
Overall, the documentary record suggests that Margaret Thatcher played a complex role at the end of the Cold War. Her conversations with Gorbachev on general issues of arms control helped make him more open to compromise with the United States, and to carrying out deep unilateral conventional arms reductions in Europe. However, her influence worked in the other direction on nuclear weapons policy, because of her close relationship with Reagan. Her strong stance in defense of nuclear weapons was one factor that prevented the historic breakthrough that Reagan and Gorbachev almost achieved in Reykjavik, and kept trying to return to afterwards. This deep and principled disagreement between Gorbachev and Thatcher on the value and role of nuclear weapons ultimately meant her influence on Gorbachev was stronger in the sphere of domestic politics, and especially the economy, but not as strong on overall foreign policy and arms control.
Document 1: Record of Conversation between Thatcher and Gorbachev, March 30, 1987, Moscow.
Document 2: Politburo discussion of Margaret Thatcher visit, April 16, 1987. Notes of Anatoly S. Chernyaev.
Document 3: Politburo Discussion of the New Doctrine of the Warsaw Pact, May 8, 1987. Notes of Anatoly S. Chernyaev.
Document 4: Record of Conversation between Thatcher and Gorbachev, April 5, 1989, London.
Document 5: Record of Conversation between Thatcher and Gorbachev, April 6, 1989, London.
Document 6: Diary of Anatoly S. Chernyaev, April 16, 1989
Document 7: Record of Conversation between Thatcher and Gorbachev, September 23, 1989, Moscow.
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB422/
J.Š. 13.4.2013
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