Who won the Cold War?

What exactly led to the downfall of the Soviet Union? Was the collapse of the USSR inevitable, or did America hasten its disintegration? Or, as former CIA director and Soviet expert Robert Gates puts it, "Did we win or did the Soviets just lose?" [source: Powers].

The tense standoff that characterized the Cold War ended when the USSR collapsed in 1991, becoming the Russian Federation. This… » Full Story on HowStuffWorks