‘Burying the Cold War in the Mediterranean Sea’ : the 1989 Bush-Gorbachev Malta ‘non-summit’ Summit

Abstract

In the field of political science, the year 1989 can be defined as a 'critical juncture': "a period of significant change ... which is hypothesised to produce distinct legacies."2 The events of that year began a rapid process which dismantled the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and ushered in a new world order. This paper seeks to look at the role Malta played in the closing days of the Cold War in 1989. It will focus specifically on the Bush - Gorbachev meeting held off the coast of Malta in December 1989. It will utilise documents released from the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, as well as other contemporary newspaper records and political memoirs.