Reagan Cold War Research Paper

and its allies and the group of nations led by the Soviet Union. Direct military

There was much controversy during the Reagan Revolution about whether or not what President Reagan was doing for the country would turn out as beneficial to the country in the long run. Reagan had quickly reflected the reinvigoration of conservatism with tax cuts, a laissez faire approach to business, and strong national defense. The results of Reagan’s policies would have a huge impact on American politics after his terms and there were different opinions on his actions. Some people thought that Reagan’s “Revolution” may have changed the country for the worse and made the job harder for future presidents. Others believe that Reagan did not create the revolution, he simply “gave form and direction” to it. I agree with Jenkins’ position because

However, in November of 1980, the voters of the United States elected President Ronald Reagan on a platform that promised the overthrow of the "Marxist Sandinistas of Nicaragua." And within a month of Reagan's taking office, counter-revolutionary forces, formed from the remnants of the Somozas' old National Guard were training in Florida in open violation of the Neutrality Act of 1789.

troops to Grenada in 1983, to prevent what the he saw as a Cuban attempt to take

A: President Ronald Reagan described the Soviet Union as the “Evil Empire” during the Cold War. President Ronald Reagan described the United States as “the shining city on a hill” during the Cold War.

for covert operations. Powerful statements from President Reagan via speeches and directives about promoting democracy were critical to smoothly establish a new command and control center for operations in the region. An address to the Nation regarding Policy in Central America conducted in 1984 by President Reagan from the Oval Office clearly showed his determination to push his foreign policy agenda in the region.

The heart of Reagan 's foreign policy was to prevent the expansion of communism and at the heart of communism was the Soviet Union. Reagan often referred to the Soviet Union as the “evil empire.” Reagan believed that the United States should negotiate with the Soviet Union from a position of strength. The administration embarked on a modernization program which included the production of intercontinental missiles and the Strategic Defense Initiative. He increased military spending and forces, while holding negotiations with Mikhail Gorbachev- the General Secretary of the Soviet Union. After a number of meetings between Reagan and Gorbachev, the two men signed an Intermediate

President Reagan’s foreign policy took a sharp turn from his predecessors’ tactics of easing tensions and instead chose to escalate the cold war conflict, arguing the moral superiority of the U.S.’s governmental system and framing the Cold War as a fight between the good and free capitalist United States versus the evil communist regime. (“Reagan Doctrine" at U.S. Department of State) This direct confrontal approach later became known as the “Reagan Doctrine”. In his pursuit of the USSR he implemented a new policy through the National Security Decisions Directive to diminish the resources of the Soviet

Reagan attended Eureka College where he studied economics and acted in school plays. When he graduated from college, he became a sports radio announcer. Eventually he earned a contract from Hollywood with his 1937 screen test, appearing in 53 films. As president of the the Screen Actors Guild, he became aware of the issue of Communism in the film industry and he shifted to a more conservative outlook. In 1966 he became governed of California by a landslide of a million votes.

Reagan was president during a time of doubt and uncertainty. During his presidency he saw the most of the cold war and a rise of international terrorism. Reagan adopted a "Peace Through Strength" philosophy. Reagan increased defense spending by 40% during his presidency and human events concluded that the free-flow of oil during the Iran-Iraq war was due to his support of Naval protection, during which he also suppressed communist movements in Asia, America, and Africa with the Reagan Doctrine (Hugh and Sidney). These and his contributions to peaceful agreements with soviet leader Mikhail

Furthermore, external factors derived from the Cold War catalysed the fall of the USSR. The Reagan Doctrine, a strategy implemented under the Reagan Administration which determined the US’s foreign policy towards the USSR, worsened the USSR’s decline. With Reagan’s appointment as US president in 1981 came a much tougher stance taken by the US against the USSR and its communist ideals. This can be seen when the policy of containment was dropped and that of rollback was adopted instead. Effectively, this means that the US aimed to eradicate communism, rather than prevent its spread. Some examples of how the policy of rollback as part of the doctrine took shape were the US’ covert intervention in the 1979 Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan,

The U.S. invasion of Grenada and the fall of its Marxist government can be viewed as part of a greater regional conflict. This conflict involved the U.S. and it's Central American and Caribbean allies on one side and Fidel Castro's Cuba, the Sandinista government of Nicaragua and Marxist guerrilla armies on the other. President Reagan and his administration were somewhat worried that the Marxist government of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was allowing Cuba to gain influence in Grenada. The fact that Grenada constructed a military-grade airport with Cuban military engineers really was a red flag for President Reagan to take charge. Apparently, there were a lot of soviet weapons being stored at the

Reagan continued to press for money in support of the Contras, while Democrats in the House of Representatives contemplated complete termination of Contra support. Eventually there was a concession on both parties, creating a limit of twenty-four million dollars of Contra aid for the 1984 Fiscal year. This amount, while generous, is significantly less than the Administration’s aims, hence the opportunity for future additional funding from Congress.

What would soon happen would alter the image of the president forever. Who would ever think “Contra” and “Iran” would be in the same sentence.

The Cold War, two ideologies; capitalism and communism, two champions; the United States and the Soviet Union, locked in a brutal war of influence, every country a battle ground. Though nuclear annihilation was avoided, thousands lay dead in the plethora of conflicts stemming from it, with lasting impact. In the Middle East,the Cold War took form as conflict between two countries, though smaller in size, but similarly ideologically at odds: Egypt and Israel. This conflict would manifest itself as a series of wars between the two regional powers, culminating in the Six- Day War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War. The ideological rift between Egypt and Israel, prior intervention in the region, and extensive arms transfers, all byproducts