ABSTRACT
The main purpose of the peace movements in Europe was to put pressure on the respective governments. Large demonstrations together with other unconventional happenings were organized for this purpose. The Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries accompanied and supported the activities of the peace movements with various kinds of propaganda and disinformation campaigns. The idea of concentrating on the aspects comes from a simple model of the interaction between the peace movements and their societies. In the case of the peace movements, two aspects have to be discussed: the co-ordination of certain activities and the mutual support of the peace movements; and the co-operation with the Soviet Union and/or certain proxies of the Soviets. The peace movements have played an important role in the decision-making process of the Western democracies. Although they failed to reach their final objectives, they proved to be a conspicuous force, able to influence major political parties of the democratic left.
