18. Why did President Ronald Reagan change his strategy towards the Soviet Union after Mikhail Gorbachev came Into power? President Reagan realized that harsher policies not been effective in resisting Soviet efforts to spread communism. President Reagan hoped to catch the Soviet Union off guard by suddenly changing his strategy toward the Soviets. President Reagan hoped that the Soviet people, once they felt the effects of Gorbachev's reforms, would overthrow their government. There was a conspiracy between the United States and Great Britain to overthrow the Russian government.

18. Why did President Ronald Reagan change his strategy towards the Soviet Union after Mikhail Gorbachev came Into power? President Reagan realized that harsher policies not been effective in resisting Soviet efforts to spread communism. President Reagan hoped to catch the Soviet Union off guard by suddenly changing his strategy toward the Soviets. President Reagan hoped that the Soviet people, once they felt the effects of Gorbachev's reforms, would overthrow their government. There was a conspiracy between the United States and Great Britain to overthrow the Russian government.