Reagan Presidency: Foreign Policy Approach 1981-89

1. POLI 314: U.S. Foreign Policy Dr. Kevin Lasher

2. The Reagan Presidency, 1981-89 Return to confrontational mind-set of early Cold War BUT Worked with Gorbachev to begin the process of ending the Cold War

3. Reagan and the 1970s Three “failed” presidencies American economy in trouble Détente “failed” and US was falling behind in the Cold War (perception) Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days

4. The Reagan Presidency, 1981-89 “The right man at the right place at the right time.”

5. The Reagan Presidency, 1981-89 Reagan’s sunny optimism and small government rhetoric was appealing to Americans Great communicator with the American people Cut taxes to stimulate economy Seemed to enjoy being President

6. The Reagan Presidency, 1981-89 Reagan believed that détente had failed and that the United States needed to “get tough” with the USSR Long history of strong anti-communist messages and positions

7. The Reagan Presidency, 1981-89 Country was ready for new “moderate anticommunism” “Vietnam Syndrome” was weakening (but not dead) Reagan could be more assertive in his foreign policy but still cautious

8. Reagan’s Moderate Anti-communism 1) Aggressive rhetoric 2) Major military build-up 3) Limited rollback

9. Reagan’s Moderate Anti-communism Talked very tough against Soviets, built up American defenses, but acted cautiously – especially with new deployments of US troops abroad

10. Aggressive Rhetoric • “Let us beware that while they [Soviet rulers] preach the supremacy of the state, declare its omnipotence over individual man, and predict its eventual domination over all the peoples of the earth, they are the focus of evil in the modern world.... Do not ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of any evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong, good and evil.” (1983)

11. Aggressive Rhetoric

12. Aggressive Rhetoric • Soviet leaders “have openly and publicly declared that the only morality they recognize is what will further their cause, meaning they reserve unto themselves the right to commit any crime, to lie, to cheat, in order to attain their goals.” (1981)

13. Aggressive Rhetoric • “The Soviet Union underlies all the unrest that is going on. If they weren’t engaged in this game of dominoes, there wouldn’t be any hot spots in the world.” (1983)

14. Aggressive Rhetoric • “And make no mistake about it, this attack was not just against ourselves or the Republic of Korea. This was the Soviet Union against the world and the moral precepts which guide human relations among people everywhere. It was an act of barbarism born of a society which wantonly disregards individual rights and the value of human life and seeks constantly to expand and dominate other nations.” (1983)

15. Aggressive Rhetoric • “My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” Joke that accidentally went out over radio in 1984

16. Aggressive Rhetoric • “It is the Soviet Union that runs against the tide of history. It is the march of freedom and democracy which will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people.” (1982)

17. Aggressive Rhetoric • “The years ahead will be great ones for our country, for the cause of freedom and the spread of civilization. The West will not contain Communism; it will transcend Communism. We will not bother to denounce it, we'll dismiss it as a sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written.” (1981)

18. Aggressive Rhetoric • Soviet leadership was surprisingly thin-skinned about all this criticism. They had become accustomed to the “niceties” of the détente years.

19. Aggressive Rhetoric • Reagan seemed vigorous for a man in his 70s, while Soviet leaders were sickly, “grey, old men.” • Brezhnev dies in 1982 • Andropov dies in 1984 • Chernenko dies in 1985

20. Aggressive Rhetoric • West Europeans and American liberals saw Reagan as a dangerous cowboy who either wanted to start a nuclear war or would somehow start one by mistake.

21. Aggressive Rhetoric George Kennan warned that Reagan displayed “an intellectual primitivism.”

22. Major Military Build-up • Increase US defense spending by 40% from 1981-1985 • Spending on conventional and nuclear forces

24. Major Military Build-up • 50 MX missiles (10 warheads) in hardened silos • New D-5 SLBM missile (12 warheads) • More Trident II submarines • 100 B-1 bombers • Development of stealth B-2 bomber • Achieved 600 ship Navy • 572 Pershing and GLCMs to WE • Many others

25. Major Military Build-up: SDI • Reagan announces plan to develop space-based shield to defend against Soviet missile attack in early 1983

26. Major Military Build-up: SDI • Strategic Defense Initiative (aka “Star Wars”)

27. Major Military Build-up: SDI “Let me share with you a vision of the future which offers hope. It is that we embark on a program to counter the awesome Soviet missile threat with measures that are defensive. Let us turn to the very strengths in technology that spawned our great industrial base and that have given us the quality of life we enjoy today. What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security did not rest upon the threat of instant U.S. retaliation to deter a Soviet attack, that we could intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil or that of our allies?”

28. Major Military Build-up: SDI “I know this is a formidable, technical task, one that may not be accomplished before the end of the century. Yet, current technology has attained a level of sophistication where it's reasonable for us to begin this effort. It will take years, probably decades of efforts on many fronts. There will be failures and setbacks, just as there will be successes and breakthroughs. And as we proceed, we must remain constant in preserving the nuclear deterrent and maintaining a solid capability for flexible response. But isn't it worth every investment necessary to free the world from the threat of nuclear war? We know it is.”

29. Major Military Build-up: SDI “I clearly recognize that defensive systems have limitations and raise certain problems and ambiguities. If paired with offensive systems, they can be viewed as fostering an aggressive policy, and no one wants that. But with these considerations firmly in mind, I call upon the scientific community in our country, those who gave us nuclear weapons, to turn their great talents now to the cause of mankind and world peace, to give us the means of rendering these nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete.”

30. Major Military Build-up: SDI Reagan’s loathing of nuclear weapons is why he was attracted to the SDI concept

31. Major Military Build-up: SDI US spends $30 billion on SDI research between 1983-1993 USSR was very concerned not so much about a workable SDI system but related practical spin-offs from such a major research program USSR feared it could not compete in next-generation military technology

32. Major Military Build-up Significant increase in US conventional and nuclear capability by end of first Reagan term Included SDI research program which greatly concerned Soviet leadership

33. Major Military Build-up Reagan said that he always intended to negotiate with the USSR, but from a position of strength Position of strength “achieved” at the same time as a new Soviet leader in 1985

34. Limited Rollback Reagan returns to challenge communism in various parts of Third World “Reagan Doctrine” calls for support to freedom fighters opposed to communist regimes Support proxy forces in Angola, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Afghanistan (avoid US troops) Nicaragua and Afghanistan are prime targets

35. Limited Rollback Aid and arms to mujahideen guerrillas fighting against Soviet troops in Afghanistan Helps create “Vietnam-type” situation and Soviet troops finally leave in 1989

36. Limited Rollback

37. Limited Rollback Creation, financing and training of “Contras” to overthrow communist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua American people would not support US ground troops to Nicaragua

38. Limited Rollback Congressional limits on aid to contras led to a variety of creative, and probably illegal means, to channel funds to them

40. Iran Contra Affair Sold arms to Iranian “moderates” in order to help win release of new round American hostages (arms for hostages) Profits from arm sales to Iran were “illegally” given to Contra forces fighting against Sandinista regime (illegal diversion of funds) Major foreign policy disaster for Reagan administration, raised criminal charges, and possible impeachment

41. Iran Contra Affair “A few months ago, I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and evidence tell me it is not.” He lied

42. Iran Contra Affair Reagan was not responsible for any illegal of diversion of funds to the Contras because he didn’t know what was going on within his own administration His well-known aloof management style led to a policy disaster (and possibly impeachable offenses) but ultimately saved his presidency

43. Iran Contra Affair

44. Reagan’s Partner • Mikhail Gorbachev selected as new General Secretary of CPSU of USSR in early 1985 • Task was to reform a system that had been deteriorating for twenty years or more

45. Reagan’s military build-up put additional pressure on a deteriorating USSR, and he demonstrated that he was willing to go far to change the US-Soviet relationship once Gorbachev came to power

47. Reagan and Gorbachev begin the process of ending the Cold War

48. The End