Reagan's Cold War Strategy

The Specter of Nuclear War and Reagan's Stance

• Fear of nuclear war was palpable during the Cold War era.
• Reagan was staunchly anti-communist and viewed the Soviet Union with deep suspicion.
• He advocated for peace through strength and firmness, not appeasement.
• Reagan genuinely feared nuclear war and wanted to change the dynamic with the Soviets.
• He insisted on maintaining dialogue even during crises.
• Reagan's near-death experience shifted his focus toward peacemaking.

Reagan's Presidency: Cold War and Beyond

• Reagan's presidency aimed to end the Cold War while also initiating what some call the global war on terror.
• The Cold War was symbolized by the division of Germany and global alliances.
• The US and Soviet Union operated in a bipolar system with allies on either side.
• The Cold War was perceived as a zero-sum game.
• Germans were acutely aware of the potential for nuclear war on their territory.
• Reagan believed his role was to eliminate nuclear weapons and make the world safer.
• He felt previous administrations had been too lenient with the Soviet Union.
• Reagan aimed to end Soviet power, not just coexist peacefully.

Early Actions and Stance

• Despite his tough stance, Reagan lifted the grain embargo against the Soviets, which had been imposed by Carter, because he felt it was hurting American farmers.
• Rhetoric intensified between Washington and Moscow, replacing face-to-face meetings.
• NATO planned to deploy new missiles in Western Europe, leading to protests.
• Reagan proposed the "zero option": the US would cancel its deployment if the Soviets dismantled their missiles.
• The Soviets did not agree because they viewed the deployment as aggressive and targeted at them.
• Some analysts believed the Soviets had a nuclear advantage.

Proxy Wars and the Reagan Doctrine

• The Cold War was fought through proxy wars in Korea, the Philippines, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Central America.
• The Reagan Doctrine opposed Soviet dominance outside the Soviet Union.
• Reagan authorized CIA support for the anti-communist Contras in Nicaragua.
• The US and Soviets funded opposing sides, leading to deaths in Central America.
• The US feared a second Marxist-Leninist government in Nicaragua.
• Reagan was determined to break the Sandinistas.

Middle East Policies and Challenges

• The Middle East posed significant challenges for Reagan.
• Reagan's policies in the Middle East did not yield gains and wasted American leadership.
• Decisions made during the 1980s continue to affect the region.
• American policy was focused on the US's relationship with the Soviet Union rather than the region itself.

Iran-Contra Affair and Regional Dynamics

• American interest in Iran stemmed from its energy resources and strategic location.
• Iran lacked a Cold War ally and was rebuilding after its revolution.
• The US aided Iraq in its war against Iran, despite the Soviets also doing so.
• This move threatened Israel, which viewed Saddam Hussein's Iraq as an existential threat.
• The US sought to help Iran to prevent it from losing the war against Iraq.

Lebanon and the Multinational Force

• Southern Lebanon became a staging ground for the PLO, leading to Israeli intervention.
• Lebanon was embroiled in a civil war involving various factions and external powers.
• The US, Soviets, and Iran sought to influence the outcome.
• Israel invaded Lebanon to neutralize the PLO with the support of Lebanese Christians.

Reagan's Speech to British Parliament

• Reagan addressed the British Parliament, signaling a shift away from détente.
• He expressed his belief that communism would end up on the "ash heap of history".
• This speech set new terms for the US-Soviet relationship.
• Reagan framed the conflict as a battle between right and wrong values.

Escalation and Crisis

• Nuclear fear escalated in Europe, and NATO allies faced crises globally.
• Reagan made the decision to introduce American troops into Lebanon to stabilize the situation and encourage Israeli withdrawal.
• The US joined France and Italy in a multinational peacekeeping force.
• The goal was to negotiate the withdrawal of Israeli and Syrian forces for an independent Lebanon.

The Sabra and Shatila Massacre

• Following Bashir Gemayel's assassination, Christian Phalangist forces massacred Palestinian refugees in the Sabra and Shatila camps.
• The Israeli army encircled the camps during the slaughter.
• The rage led to the slaughter of Palestinian women and children
• The number of victims is disputed, but some estimates suggest that thousands of unarmed civilians were killed
• The international backlash which had a profound impact within Israel
• The commission also declared that defense minister Ariel Sharon bore personal responsibility for failure to prevent the attacks.

Consequences of the Massacre

• The massacre inspired the growth of Hezbollah.
• The Iranian government played a key role in forming Hezbollah.
• Hezbollah gained strength from the Iranian Revolution and a perception of weak US resistance.

The Soviet Leadership Transition

• Leonid Brezhnev died and was replaced by Yuri Andropov, former head of the KGB.
• Democratic lawmakers focused on Reagan's policies in Central America.
• The Boland Amendment restricted US government funding for military operations in Nicaragua.
• It required the Congress of the United States approval to use public funds to conduct military opetations; which is required by the Constitution.

The "Evil Empire" Speech and Moral Convictions

• Reagan labeled the Soviet Union an "evil empire."
• He believed America was good and the Soviet Union was evil.
• It was a way Reagan expressed the kind of thuggery the Soviet operated where there was not allowance to read a Bible, go to church, have freedom of speech, and living in constant fear.
• This conviction was immovable.

The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) or "Star Wars"

• Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a space-based defense system to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles.
• The goal was to make the US and allies secure.
• Also to engage the Soviet Union in a technology race they couldn't win.
• The SDI was questioned for its technical feasibility and viewed by some as economic warfare.
• 3:1 Advantage was the system the Soviet had in the First Strike system.
• The Soviets interpreted SDI as a strategy to enable a US first strike.
• Robert McFarlane viewed SDI as a way to burden the Soviet economy.

Soviet Challenges and Afghanistan

• The Soviet economy was strained by the arms race and the war in Afghanistan.
• The Soviets made a mistake by invading Afghanistan.
• The Reagan administration supported Afghan freedom fighters without involving American troops.

The Beirut Bombing

• The consequences for the U.S. escalated when a 2,000 pound suicide car bomb exploded in front of the American Embassy in Beirut
• 63 people were killed including 17 Americans eight of which worked for the CIA
• The US was also involved in a military and propaganda campaign in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Grenada with a clearly marked agenda.

Debates in Congress

• There were lots of Democrats in Congress that disagree with Reagan's support of the Contras even rhetorically.
• There was a difference of opinion and they denied the funding the the administration wanted to do.
• He (Reagan) believed he was doing good in Central America but believed these thugs that the administration were paying were freedom fighters.

The Kremlin Responds to SDI

• At the Kremlin, the Soviets were still pondering the idea of weapons in space as well as the toll it might take on the Soviet economy
• How can we respond
• we can't afford the same technology, we have to come up with an asymmetric response
• many of the Soviets didn't think it would work, but they couldn't take a chance it might work.
• the military felt they had to react with a preemptive nuclear strike.

KAL 007

• They called what happened in Lebanon "a precursor of what's going on today with different tools"
• June 22nd letter to Reagan Soviet leader Yuri Andropov suggested the two countries focus on the elimination of the nuclear threat.
• Rhetorical games between the U.S and the Soviet Union had a long history, but the real risk of nuclear war had rarely been greater it escalated to a Tipping Point on September 1st, 1983.
• 269 people were killed when a Soviet fighter jet shot down a civilian passenger jet Korean Airlines flight 007. the jet was off course and in Soviet airspace but the Downing was viewed as an act of aggression against the United States South Korea and its allies.
• the fact is that they did recover the Black Box they had no evidence ever that 39:58 this was a spy plane even the communications by the fighter pilot
• the choices that both sides made were cold war choices but the decision was made to say this is an act of absolute evil and on the Soviet side they decided to cover up and that just immediately erased any remnants of trust we have the poly Bureau document where they make decision to cover up
• Soviets admitted to a war crime, violating agreements dating back to WWII
• It was interpreted and viewed as the Soviet Union against the world and the moral precepts which guide human relations among people everywhere it was an act of barbarism.

Naval Engagement and Intervention in Grenada

• U.S. Navy carrier task group bound for Lebanon ends up battling in Grenada.
• America defeats Grenada.
• The reason behind the war was unclear.

The Persian Missiles

• West Germany geared up for winter and for the deployment of more than 100 U.S Pershing 50:20 two ballistic missiles but the coldest spot in Europe was a negotiating table in Geneva the present round of the.
• The negotiations is discontinued without any date set presumption
• For the first time in more than 20 years Soviet diplomats walked away in Defiance

The End of the Cold War

• few parts of the world were safe from the Cold War.
• it was not clear how to engage in a Cold War with the new leadership in the Soviet Union because "they keep dying on me."
• intensified in Lebanon with the March kidnapping of William Buckley the CIA station Chief in Beirut
• America would not retreat; it would continue its fight against the enemies of Freedom