What was the difference between traditional views of the Cold War and Reagan's view of it?

Ronald Reagan succeeded Jimmiy Carter as President of the USA, less than two years after the Afghantistan invasion by the Soviet Union had started. He put an end to the "détente" which had brought an appeasement in the relationships between the USA and the USSR. The Cold War took a violent turn again until Mikhail Gorbatchev became Premier of the Soviet Union in 1985. Despite his opposition to government interference in the economy, Ronald Reagan increased the military budget to such an extent that it reached more than a third of the federal budget by the end of his first term.

Traditional views of the Cold War often emphasized a sense of geopolitical rivalry and ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. This perspective framed the Cold War as a struggle between two superpowers competing for global influence, with tensions arising from ideological differences, nuclear arms race, and proxy conflicts in various regions. Reagan's view of the Cold War, however, was characterized by a more confrontational stance towards the Soviet Union, epitomized by his famous description of the Soviet Union as an "evil empire." Reagan believed in confronting the Soviet Union with a firm and assertive approach, including military buildup, support for anti-communist movements, and strategic initiatives such as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as "Star Wars." Additionally, Reagan's view emphasized the moral dimension of the Cold War, portraying it as a struggle between freedom and tyranny, democracy and communism. This perspective sought to delegitimize the Soviet regime and inspire resistance movements within the Soviet bloc, ultimately contributing to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.