Reagan's misreading of soviet reactions to his rhetoric in 1983 is well known. However what caused this miscalculation?
Was it a new regime unwilling to trust their experts and going on personal opinions, analyst's caught out by the ever changing soviet leadership or a more fundamental breakdown in Kremlinology?
I get the feeling it might in the later given that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was also badly misread, but what's your opinion?
I'm sorry but I don't fully understand the question. Misread how?
In the sense of the robustness of the Soviet economy? My understanding is that the CIA and others grossly overestimated the size of the USSR economically.
In the sense of the foreign policy goals?
In their technological advancement?
Can you elaborate, please?
I'm confused. Reagan had Russia pegged as not being able to compete with the US which was the basis of his doctrine which helped contribute to their undoing. Or some such.