Papal Sucession

Hugh Hewitt has links to plenty of sources.

As to the question of the Pope and the end of the Cold War, Carl Bernstein (yes, Carl Bernstein) has a biography of the Pope that came out a number of years back that makes this case in spades. Hugh cites the short list as follows:

With Reagan and Solzhenitsyn, John Paul II represents the three forces of opposition to communism that shattered the evil empire, the Soviet Union --the American-led West, the Eastern European resistance, and the Russian dissident movement.

I would agree only to the extent that you include Margaret Thatcher (whose rise to power preceded Reagan's), Vaclev Havel, and the indispensable Lech Walessa to the list.

UPDATE on Thatcher: This is just sacreligious.