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The Cold War 1945–1991
Renewal and end of the Cold War
US attitudes and policies under Reagan.
Paul Brown
Camden High School
Outcomes
Students:
H1.1 describe the role of key features, issues, individuals, groups and events of selected twentieth-century studies
H1.2 analyse and evaluate the role of key features, issues, individuals, groups and events of selected twentieth-century studies
Extract from Modern History Stage 6 Syllabus Board of Studies NSW 2004.
Key features and issues
- Changing policies, strategies and responses to the Cold War
From this tutorial you will learn about the Renewal and end of the Cold War and the US attitudes and policies under Reagan.
The Administration of Ronald Reagan (Republican President 1981-1989)
Events in the 1970s had created a sense of frustration and loss of confidence
in the US. These included Watergate, stagflation, the energy crisis, the defeat
in Vietnam, and the Iranian hostage crisis.
The events resulted in:
- decline in American military strength around the world
- decline in productivity and innovation in American industry
- a perception of their being weaknesses in the office of the Presidency
- the OPEC oil crisis
- divisions within the Congress that made coherent political action impossible.
- Inflation in the American economy running at 18%.
Ronald Reagan campaigned for the Presidency against this backdrop and defeated the incumbent president, Jimmy Carter, in a landslide. In addition, the Republicans won control of the Senate for the first time since 1954.
Reagan was one of the most controversial US presidents. His supporters claim that he rebuilt America’s military might, regained the nation’s place as the world’s pre-eminent power and restored American pride and patriotism.
Reagan’s administration doubled the US defence budget going from $165 billion in 1981 to $330 billion in 1987.
During the early years of his presidency Cold War tensions increased. During the 1980 presidential campaign Reagan described communism as “a form of insanity (that) is contrary to human nature” and the Soviet Union as “the focus of evil in the modern world”. He also said that détente, “has been a one-way street that the Soviets have used to continue moving toward the Marxist goal of a socialist, one world state.” In September 1983 he described the Soviet Union as, “an evil empire”. Reagan then called for a space-based missile defence system – “Star Wars”. This initiative it was claimed, could give protection against a nuclear attack and thus would remove the need for deterrence. However, this policy had the effect of potentially renewing the arms race. This presented a new threat to peace and stability and the early stages of Reagan’s presidency was characterised as a ‘new cold war’. (McDougall p.101)
Reagan and his advisers tended to view every regional conflict as part of the Cold War. This was particularly so in Central and South America. When a radical Marxist government took over Grenada in October1983 Reagan sent in US forces and overthrew the new regime. This was seen by most Latin American nations as an example of “Yankee imperialism”.
In 1985 in his state of the union address he spelt out the “Reagan
Doctrine”. This meant US support for anti-Communist revolutions. He said, “We
must not break faith with those who are risking their lives on every continent
from Afghanistan to Nicaragua to defy Soviet-supported aggression.”
In Afghanistan the US provided aid to anti-Soviet ‘freedom fighters’ which
ultimately helped to force the Soviet Union to withdraw.
In Nicaragua, Reagan sponsored the CIA-backed anti-Sandinista rebels or ‘Contras’. The CIA mined Nicaraguan harbours and issued a manual offering ways of assassinating Sandinistas. In 1984 the US Congress ordered a stop to all such covert activities. Reagan’s administration then sought financial support for these activities from private individuals and foreign governments seeking US favours. Reagan also allowed arms sales to Iran, an avowed enemy of the US, in order to sponsor the Contras. This Iran-Contra Affair eventually blew up in 1986 and a congressional investigation weakened the influence of Reagan from that point.
McDougall argues that Reagan’s second term in office (1985-1989) showed a new approach to US-Soviet relations that was, “compatible with the more moderate Republicanism of George Bush.” (McDougall, p.108). This period coincided with the rule of Mikhail Gorbachev as General Secretary of the Communist Party. For details on their approaches to the Cold War see Disarmament agreements 1987–1991 on this site.
Reagan and Gorbachev Summit 1985
Questions to consider:
- How significant were US President Reagan’s policies in ending the Cold War.
- Why did détente not bring an end to the Cold War by the early 1980s?
Bibliography
McDougall, Derek. Soviet-American Relations Since the 1940s, Hodder & Stockton, Melbourne, 1989.
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