ABSTRACT
Soviet policy in 1984-1985 was constrained because the leadership crisis had been prolonged. Soviet economic troubles worsened, and Soviet society seemed to be suffering from a growing malaise. Mikhail Gorbachev seems to recognize that the Soviet Union's global position has weakened. The Soviet state is forced to play the role more of a conventional world power than of a superpower. The accession of Mikhail Gorbachev to the leadership of the Soviet Party marks the beginning of a new historical period. The innovative elements in Soviet foreign policies will outweigh the elements of continuity. By 1984-1985, much of the original Reagan program had been achieved: the Soviets had been brought back to the negotiating table under conditions favorable to the United States. The change from an ideological struggle to a conflict of interests explains much about the history of Soviet-American relations—why clashes can arise even in sensitive areas, without automatically producing an East-West confrontation.
