🌺 The Reagan Years #2 🌺

Foreign Policy

• rejects détente

  • calls the Soviet Union an “evil empire” 

  • US  should defeat evil not negotiate or contain it

• “Peace Through Strength”

• Tried to stop nations from supporting terrorism

  • Libya backed a terrorist bombing in Berlin → US launched air attack on Libya in response

Peace Through Strength

Largest peacetime weapons / military buildup in history - $1.5 trillion - meant to bankrupt and destroy Soviets if they tried to keep up

• create jobs which would  promote economic recovery

Reagan Doctrine

US should support guerilla groups who were fighting to overthrow Communist or pro-Soviet governments.

Aid to Afghanistan

’79 Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan → Reagan sent hundreds of millions of dollars in covert military aid to Afghan rebels.  ‘88 – Soviets withdrew after casualties increased and the war hurt their economy

Grenada

radical Marxists overthrew left-wing government in ‘83. Reagan sent in troops who quickly defeated the Grenadian & Cuban soldiers, a new anti-Communist government was established.

Contra

Rebels in Nicaragua (Sandinistas ) had overthrown a pro-USA dictator in ‘79 & set up a socialism with aid from China and USSR. Reagan responded by secretly arming anti-Sandinistas known as the Contras . Congress learns of this and banned further aid.

Iran-Contra Scandal

Despite the ban individuals in the Reagan administration secretly sold (not approved by Congress) weapons to Iran (a sworn enemy of the U.S. and sponsor of terrorism) in exchange for release of American hostages held in Lebanon by Hezbollah terrorists loyal to Ayatollah.

Why were people outraged?

US placed missiles in Western Europe to counter Soviet missiles. Protests erupted worldwide.  We offered to cancel the missiles if the Soviets removed theirs from Eastern Europe.

START

Reagan proposed (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) to cut the number of missiles on both sides in half but the Soviets refused.

“mutually assured destruction”

• Reagan disagrees with this

• idea that if countries could destroy each other with nuclear weapons, they would be afraid to use them.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Instead of “mutually assured destruction” he proposes this plan…. nicknamed Star Wars to intercept incoming missiles.

New Soviet Leader

• Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to resume arms-control talks because the SU could not afford an arms race with the US and they meet in a series of summits.

• Reagan challenges him to make reforms, standing at the Berlin Wall  he stated “Tear Down this wall”

Relations improve

• Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF)

• Gorbachev pushes for economic and political reforms which will lead to the collapse of the SU.

• In the US → the economy was booming, the military was strong → US / SU relations improving as Reagan’s 2nd term came to an end.

Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF)

Treaty for arms control.