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.