Politicians and citizens alike during the early 1970s viewed détente as the first step towards ending the Cold War. This agreement to a cooling off of East-West tensions, initiated by U.S. President Nixon and Soviet Premier Brezhnev, gave hope for the first time that the two superpowers could coexist. In addition to political acknowledgement of each other’s spheres of influence, détente consisted of armaments limitations and reductions agreements starting with SALT …showed first 75 words of 1454 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1454 total…sides still were seeking to expand their influence so as to subdue the other. Not until Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the USSR did the necessary prerequisite for the end of the Cold War come about. The changes made during his tenure served to foster friendly relations between the superpowers and allowed for the democratization of the former Soviet Union. Only at this point could the long and bitter rivalry come to a close.