Ronald Reagan was one of the most consequential presidents of the twentieth century. He presided over a period of momentous change that saw the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Reagan's impact on the Cold War was two-fold. First, his aggressive rhetoric and militancy signaled to the Soviets that he was not interested in accommodation or detente. Second, his massive increase in military spending forced the Soviets to keep pace, which bankrupted their economy and hastened the collapse of their regime.