"There can be little doubt that the most significant event in bringing the Cold War to an end was the arrival of a new General-Secretary as leader of the USSR in March 1985".
This quote comes from "Footsteps in Times" by Kevin McCarthy. This book is used as a school text book in Irish secondary schools in the Junior Certificate program. Whether Mr. Murphy is deliberately misunderstanding cause and effect is impossible to discern, but there can be "little doubt" that Mr. Gorbachev's selection as General-Secretary was a result of the pressure the Soviet Union was under by 1985.
The combination of Lech Walesa and John Paul II in Poland combined with American military, economic and social pressure on the USSR after the invasion of Afghanistan created the conditions that led to Mr. Gorbachev's rise to power. There can also be "little doubt" that he never intended for the USSR or its cold war allies to move away from Communism. His goal was to manage a change in the system, not destroy it.
John Paul II and Ronald Reagan had more to do with the ultimate demise of the USSR and bringing an end to the Cold War than did Mr. Gorbachev.
Not the worst example of anti-Americanism, but if ending the Cold War was a good thing (and Mr. Murphy obviously believes it was) then credit should be given where it's due.
