forty-eight hours that ended the Cold War
The 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Iceland was the turning point of the Cold War. Initially planned as a short gathering to outline future talks, the meeting quickly turned to major international issues including SDI (Star Wars) and the possibility of eliminating all nuclear weapons. Both men were at the height of their powers and this move toward peace laid the groundwork for the most sweeping arms accord in history, adopted in 1987, and the end of the Soviet Union five years later. In one weekend the world was changed.
