Final answer:
Reagan depicted life in communist states as repressive and immoral, referring to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire." His administration supported anti-communist movements and built up U.S. military strength to apply pressure on the Soviet system, contributing to the eventual fall of communism in Eastern Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
Former President Ronald Reagan depicted life in communist states negatively, often emphasizing the lack of freedom and the repression experienced by citizens under Communist rule. In a 1983 speech, he famously referred to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," indicating his belief that the Soviet system was fundamentally immoral and oppressive.
Reagan believed in confronting communism head-on, and his administration engaged in various strategies to undermine it, from supporting right-wing governments fighting leftist movements to a buildup of the U.S.'s military capabilities.
Reagan's policies were part of a broader aim to restore American stature on the global stage and to negotiate with the Soviets from a position of strength.
The history of the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe is marked by the loosening grip of the Soviet Union, with key reforms such as perestroika and glasnost introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev which ultimately did not save the faltering superpower.
The late 1980s saw a wave of independence movements within the Warsaw Pact nations, and in 1991, the Soviet Union was officially disbanded. Reagan's and his successor George H.W. Bush's administrations contributed to these changes by increasing military and nuclear capabilities, escalating the pressure on an already strained Soviet economy.