Adapted from a work created by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Michael Quiñones.
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Transcript of Adapted from a work created by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Michael Quiñones.
Adapted from a work created by the University of Nebraska at Omaha
Michael Quiñones
Ronald Reagan: President, 1981-89
George H.W. Bush: Vice-president ,
1981-89
Casper Weinberger: Secretary of Defense, 1981-87
A more authoritative stance towards the U.S.S.R.
The Reagan administration placed competition and possibility of war with Soviet Union at the center of its defense & foreign policy.
Pursued large build-up of U.S military forces.
Took a more active stance towards combating Communist insurgencies.
Reagan Doctrine Called for helping anti-Communist movements around the
globe. Examples:
Nicaragua: aid for the contras (anti-Sandinista guerillas).
Afghanistan: aid for Mujahadeen tribesmen. Angola: aid for UNITA
Increased defense spending Military budgets increased for six
straight years (FY1980-85). Reagan Administration spent about
$2.4 trillion. Defense budgets rose to $290-300
billion annually.
Money spent on…
Maintenance, training, and compensation.
New weapons systems. B-1 bomber Trident II missile MX missile new ships
Strategic Defense Initiative
Announced March 1983.
a/k/a “Star Wars” Sought to develop
a system to destroy incoming missiles
Other effects…
1980-86: U.S. national debt doubled. Debt service payments tripled.
Waste & fraud in defense procurement reaches alarming levels. $400-$500 for a hammer?
Arms control: Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) U.S.-U.S.S.R. negotiations from 1981-
91. Almost produce an agreement during
Reagan-Gorbachev meeting at Reykjavik, Iceland, 1986. Summit fails on issue of SDI
START talks produce treaty in 1991
Reagan & NATO
U.S.: Gets allies to continue deployment of Pershing II & GLCM’s, and to spend more for defense. Army and USAF get NATO to adopt
“AirLand Battle” as common doctrine to for defeating a Warsaw Pact invasion.
Allies: push U.S. on negotiations to reduce theater nuclear and conventional forces.
December 1987: INF Treaty U.S. & U.S.S.R. agreed to eliminate
all their intermediate-range (300-3,400 mile) ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles.
Included provisions for on-site inspections.
All such missiles and related equipment destroyed by May 1991.
U.S. involvement in Latin America El Salvador: American aid and advisors sent to help the government Fighting the Frente Martí
Liberación Nacional (FMLN) since 1979.
Nicaragua: Began helping groups opposed to the Sandinista regime (contras).
October 1983:Grenada
Soldiers from U.S. and Caribbean nations invade. Follows a coup Concern about
expanding Cuban and Soviet influence.
Anxiety regarding U.S. medical students.
Problems in the Middle East Israel & Lebanon
Moammar Gaddafi & terrorism [Reagan launched missile strikes that killed Gaddafi’s adopted daughter at his palace]
The Persian Gulf
1982: Israel invades Lebanon Goal to drive out
Palestinian groups. U.S. sent Marine
expeditionary unit to help enforce a ceasefire.
October 23: truck bomb blows up the Marine barracks 220 soldiers die, 241
total.
Terrorist incidents on the rise Attacks & hijackings double, 1983-
85. Led to 1,000 U.S. casualties
Most famous incident: 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro After event, US Navy jets force down
plane carrying hijackers to Tunisia.
1986: U.S.-Libyan tensions rise
Naval incidents. West Berlin
bombing tied to Gaddafi.
Reagan orders bombing of Tripoli and Benghazi. Mostly military
targets destroyed, 200 casualties.
Problems in the Persian Gulf
Iran: fundamentalist Islamic state, hostile to U.S. interests. Funding terrorist
movements.
Region large producer of oil.
1980-88: Iran-Iraq War
Iraq received more foreign assistance, including official U.S. aid.
Both sides attacked Gulf shipping.
U.S. looks to Saudi Arabia as a regional ally. Saudis had influence over other Mid-
East nations, and indirectly over Palestinians. supported mujaheddin in Afghanistan
Spent money to buy American arms, and allowed U.S. to build bases on Saudi soil.
Attacks on Gulf shipping rise.
1987-88: U.S. Navy deploys to Gulf and Red Sea to protect tanker shipping. Destroys Iranian gunboats and other
vessels, missile sites, and attacks bases. Iran responds with mine laying.
Worst U.S. goof: shooting down an Iranian airliner.
U.S.S. Stark
U.S. frigate fired upon by an Iraqi fighter. Resulted in 37 deaths.
Second-term problems for the Reagan Administration Budget and debt issues. Congressional opposition. Lax oversight of subordinates leads
to political crisis.
Iran-Contra Affair
Administration officials arrange secret arms sales to Iran, some proceeds diverted to contras.
Hope to release hostages in Lebanon, influence Hezbollah.
Violated U.S. law that prohibited arms sales to the contras, and Administration’s own stated policy not to negotiate with terrorists.
Changes in the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev: General Secretary of the Communist Party, 1985-91. Sought better relations with
the West Gorbachev pursued internal
reforms:
Perestroїka-was a domestic policy established to undermine internal Soviet corruption and provide transparency through a “new openness.”
Glasnost-was the decentralization of the Soviet regime and is believed to have created resentment and led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Gorbachev: Foreign Policy Highlights
1986, meets with Reagan in Reykjavik, Iceland. Though fails in near term, ultimately leads to: INF Treaty, 1987 START Treaty, 1991
1988, announces U.S.S.R.: Will pull troops out of Afghanistan. Will allow Eastern bloc countries to determine
affairs. Will unilaterally begin reducing conventional
forces in Europe.
“Democracy” and Boris Yeltsin Communist party moderate Boris
Yeltsin became the first popularly elected president of Russia.
He expanded free market reforms started under Gorbachev and was even able to stave off a civil war in 1991 when the army refused to follow orders by groups opposed to democracy to overthrow Yeltsin.
Unfortunately in the 12 years after Yeltsin left office the nation has slid toward authoritarian rule once again.