FOREIGN POLICY OF THE 1980S

From Reagan through Bush

Reagan Becomes President

Ronald Reagan was the opposite of Jimmy Carter “great communicator” who was one-dimensional in his thinking

THEY were evil and WE are good Where Carter agonized & deliberated over background reports before

deciding, Reagan literally dozed through high-level meetings His personification of strength in the face of renewed Soviet

aggression inspired Americans tired of Carter’s nuanced diplomacy which had resulted in a loss of US prestige

On the day he took office the 52 US hostages in Iran were released Some claimed Reagan reps (namely future CIA chief Wm. Casey)

negotiated to hold off the release until inauguration day (6 minutes after swearing in: release)

Additionally, Reagan authorized payments to the anti-US Iran government

However, more likely the threat of invasion provoked a fearful response Reagan had called Iranians barbarians & they expected a military response.

The Reagan Rhetoric

The national disillusionment w/ détente only reinforced Reagan’s decision to be hard-line.

The term Cold War II was used by some political theorists Reagan immediately began using harsh language for USSR

Denounced USSR as “ focus of evil in the modern world Soviet leaders would lie, cheat, & steal to advance their goals Marxist-Leninism would end up on the “ashheap of history”

Used religious language to gain support of religious right: There is evil & sin in the world & we’re enjoined by Scripture & the

Lord Jesus to oppose it with all our might US won’t accept “permanent subjugation of Eastern

Europe”

Rationale of the Reagan Rhetoric Reagan’s use of provocative language served 2

purposes: They mobilized the Am public behind his new policy Sent a message to the Soviet leaders Soviets were in a crisis of their own

Brezhnev died in ‘82, followed by Andropov died in ‘84, & his successor: Chernenko took over ill & died in ‘85

Gorbachev (4th leader since Reagan took office) got the message: Vietnam Syndrome was over

US was renewing its commitment to interventionism Reagan hoped the language would act as a

deterrent for harsher actions (that risked full scale war)

Military Buildup & End of Arms Control

The 70s had seen an antimilitarism that resulted in a sharp decrease in defense spending

US expenditures fell to 1950 level (pre-KW); USSR was outspending us, despite an econ ½ as strong

RR concerned about deterrent forces in light of USSR parity Minuteman ICBMs, aging B-52s, & Polaris subs were all aging Began new weapons system: MX ICBM Poured $$ into Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars) program Admin officials discussed “protracted” nuclear war, nuclear war “fighting”, etc.

Rejected SALT process (didn’t trust USSR) Changed SALT (which set limits on launchers) to START (focusing on reduction)

This was propaganda move designed to be rejected by Soviets, but appeasing nuke freeze movement

Large anti-nuclear movement emerged as a result of RR’s policies

Strategic Defense Initiative Reagan introduced SDI in midst of SALT/START

dilemma It served several purposes

End criticism of his defense budget raise (& social program cuts) No longer a warmonger- a visionary leader SDI would result in mutual survival, not mutual destruction

Series of connected systems to take out ballistic missiles (for both sides)

SDI would outflank the USSR Soviets relied on ICBMs as proof of superpower status- now nullified

SDI could potentially defend our ICBMS (from Soviet 1st strike) If a 1st strike was impossible, mutual deterrence made safer

Conversely, SDI was criticized by many Too expensive Would exacerbate arms race Would tempt Soviets into attempted 1st strike earlier

The Reagan Doctrine

Foremost in RR’s mind: “roll back” gains by USSR in G77

Past admins were defensive (containment); RD was offensive Our own version of the nat lib movements the Soviets

used to justify their intervention in the G77 Reagan Doctrine based on 3 assumptions

USSR had overextended itself in the 1970s Global power balance was shifting back to the US USSR’s critical problems were domestic & they were unwilling to

risk confrontation w/ US Democratic tide was sweeping across the world In essence, RD bled targeted nations (& Moscow), until they

negotiated Insurgents couldn’t overthrow regimes, but w/ US aid, could keep

fighting

Rolling Back Latin America

As mentioned, RD turned the BD on its head No longer was socialism the inevitable end of

working-class struggle History was on the side of democratic republics

Latin America was seen as evidence Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, & Uruguay

had become (nominally) democratic

Taking Monroe Doctrine (& Roosevelt Corollary) to the next step, RR identified Central & South America & the Caribbean as vital interests

Any incursion by outside forces (read Soviet) would be pushed out First place was Grenada, where a Marxist coup had

supplanted the govt

Invasion of Grenada

Nominally, a “liberation operation” of Am medical students, US intervention in Grenada was really bigger than a rescue

Regime Change: The Marxist govt was eliminated, as was the threat of a “Soviet-Cuban colony in our backyard”

Warnings to enemies Soviet (& Cuban) interference would not be ignored Served notice to Nicaragua’s Marxist regime: a new admin

was in power & the Sandinistas were not going to be “given” Nicaragua w/o a fight

Nicaragua & the Sandinistas

Originally supportive of new govt, US was troubled by its increasing dictatorial actions (censoring press & opposition, postponing elections, etc) When it began accepting aid from Cuba & USSR (&

increasing its army past that of the hated Somoza military), US began funding counter-revolutionaries (contras) Trained by US military advisors in Honduras, the contras

launched series of military offenses Honduras, in return, received military & financial aid- Reagan

downplayed this, pushing idea contras were indigenous, independent army of freedom fighters

As the decade progressed, the Nicaraguan problem seemed to grow, RR claimed Nicaragua was exporting weapons (and revolution) to neighboring El Salvador

The end of Marxism in Nicaragua

Nicaraguan situation began to implode as decade progressed Central Am presidents met & created a peace plan for

Nicaragua When the 5 presidents demanded an end to the contras-

Reagan ignored it Congress disenchanted w/ contras & called for end to

funding Sandinistas had mismanaged econ & abused power

so badly they lost to Violet Chamorro (widow of anti-Somoza

journalist whose murder sparked rev)

Credit for Marxism’s fall in Nicaragua is debatable RR & the contras’ attacks Ortega & Sandinistas hubris Nicaraguan people’s courage (to vote

against an oppressive regime) Cent Am presidents’ Contadora plan

The effect that support of contras had on Reagan’s admin, not open to debate

The Iran-Contra Scandal

In ‘87, Reagan’s competence, judgment (& honesty) questioned US had illegally used profits from secret arms sales to anti-US

Iranian govt to fund contras (in direct violation of Congress) Reagan’s point man in operation was Lt. Col. Oliver North

A member of the NSC (Nat Sec. Council), North sold arms to Iranians in exchange for release of US hostages taken in pro-Iranian Lebanon

Profits used, along w/ funds from private citizens, to fund contras

North had vast network of arms dealers, ships, airplanes to supply contras- in effect, NSC became a shadow govt, controlling the war

When it came out, NSC tried to cover it up- shredded docs, lied to Congress- and Reagan denied it (claimed members of the admin had taken it upon themselves to fund the war)

Fallout from the Scandal

Both ways Reagan lost Either he was lying (Polls showed most Ams

believed) or Had allowed US foreign policy to be hijacked w/o his

knowledge When Reagan saw how the polls were playing, he

reversed himself He knew everything, (except diversion of funds), but argued

Congressional restrictions did not apply to he or his staff However, secrecy used belied their claim they didn’t know

it was illegal All members claimed were merely patriotic, but some

gained financially

In the end, Reagan made Carter’s hostage policy look good Had criticized Carter & said US would

not negotiate w/ terrorists, but Carter had not sold weapons to Iran, then lied about it (only thing that kept him from possible impeachment was a “smoking gun” linking him conclusively to the scandal)

The Problem of El Salvador

Before Iran-Contra broke, US policies in Nicaragua were expanding to El Salvador Nicaragua was funding leftist radicals in El Salvador Reagan’s policy was (for once) more nuanced

He began to support a political moderate (instead of anti-comm rightist)

From 1980-1992 civil war raged, & US-supported Jose Napoleon Duarte was caught b/t a murderous right-wing & fanatical left.

Essentially, an untenable position, Duarte was ineffectual in gaining real reforms (for the left) or stopping protests (for the right)

Result was a dramatic rise in paramilitary groups & strengthened military fighting against an increasingly leftist population

By time conflict ended in ‘92, Nicaraguan support gone, 40k people killed by govt forces (including Cath priests &

nuns) & 25% of pop displaced

Alliance Politics During Late Cold War

Reagan’s attacks on détente and his subsequent rearmament exerted great pressure on both the USSR & Western Europe USSR was forced to spend more money developing new

missiles & insuring that its Warsaw Pact allies would toe the line

Western Europe increasingly frustrated by status as NATO puppets controlled by puppet-master US

Question became which alliance would splinter first? Cracks were appearing on both sides

Anti-US protests in Bonn were occurring at the same time as Protests began to appear in Eastern Bloc countries

Poland & the Rise of Solidarity

Poland’s workers began demanding more rights Frustrated by poor leadership, inefficient govt, &

mismanaged econ- wanted creation of labor union Solidarity w/ right to strike

Began issuing demands: free speech & elections, voice in econ planning, support of other E. European groups

Govt began retreating in the face of these demands

Contrasts w/ Moscow response in ‘56 Budapest & ‘68 Prague

Solidarity’s growing militarism was not ignored though- USSR led large-scale maneuvers on edge of Poland (& off coast) to scare them

Finally, Poland’s own govt arrested the “counterrevolutionaries”

Arresting leaders was easier than ending protests- end was coming

NATO & The INF Missile Crisis

W. Euro ambivalence to accept US missiles & threat of USSR aggression reinforced idea unwilling to provide own defense Only western country not succumbing to anti-US

pacifism: France France (under Mitterand) actually increased nuclear deterrent

forces over decade Soviets against any deployment; worked to drive

wedge b/t US & NATO allies- their missiles: target any Euro capital, US had nothing

NATO & The INF Missile Crisis

Reagan ignored protests of loud minorities & proceeded

Gorbachev walked out of arms talks in protest- Europe grew angrier, RR cont’d deployment

Gorbachev capitulated- completely. Zero option was agreed upon and both sides removed their mid-range missiles

US won- but NATO alliance shaky @best; dissolving @ worst

The Beginning of the End

Despite tensions of 80s, when decade closed, US-Soviet relations better than they had ever been since WWII alliance

The change was all the more dramatic b/c it defied logic Iranians had est’d a theocratic anti-US govt Marxist govts in Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Ethiopia,

Cambodia US had suffered stagflation & econ drop along w/

defeat in Vietnam, Watergate, Carter’s failed policies

But Soviet confidence in inevitability of victory was baselessEcon in shambles- 5% growth rate of

50s dropped to 2% in 70s, stagnated in ‘80

Spent so much on military they could provide nothing for citizens

W. Euro spent 3% of GDP on defense, we spent 6%, CIA estimated USSR @ 16% (turned out to be wrong: 25-30%)

Famines, basic necessities rationed, USSR was rotting from w/in

Evaluating the Reagan Doctrine

How successful was RD? Answer is more nuanced

Successes USSR pulls out of Afghanistan Central & Latin America roll back Marxist inroads Armistice b/t US & USSR est’d (due to inability to keep up w/ US

military spending) USSR ultimately implodes (during Bush presidency)

Failures Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Angola retain

Marxist govts Human rights violations in US-

supported regimes in Lat Am atrociousRape & murder in El Salvador at hands of death squads

Mass Disappearings & torture of political dissidents in Argentina

The Disintegration of the USSR

The US played significant role in the implosion of USSR US weapons raised the stakes of Afghan resistance, prolonged

Ethiopian & Angolan civil wars, & bled Sandinistan govt dry Gorbachev could no longer afford to subsidize Cuba & Vietnam Faced w/ reality of unsound economy & hedged in by NATO, led

by economically resurgent US, USSR advanced rapprochement 1st became clear in ‘87 when they walked out of INF talks , then

returned & accepted all US demands Gorbachev began saying very un-Soviet like things

“all-human value of peace” took precedence over class struggle Soviet security could not be achieved w/o “common security” Force & threat of force should no longer be instruments of foreign policy Negotiations b/t NATO & Warsaw Pact should reduce levels of troops & arms

Gorbachev’s “charm offensive” tour designed to reassure West of good intentions (in W. Germany, “Gorby” rated higher

than Reagan or Bush) Normalized relations w/ China & admitted Afghan

intervention violated Soviet law & int’l norms of behavior Launched glasnost (openness), perestroika (restructuring), &

uskoreniye (acceleration) policies to revitalize Soviet society & econ Advocated freedom of press & speech Decentralized econ, cut central planning in favor of profit

motive These moves met w/ increasing hostility by Soviet hierarchy

Threatened Russian control of the Soviet provinces & non-Russian nationalities (over 100 in USSR alone) at time when E. Euro countries increasingly restless

Perestroika & Glasnost

Consequences of Uskoreniye

Gorbachev’s policies accelerated collapse of USSR. In 1988, Law on Cooperatives allowed the unthinkable to

Lenin Private ownership of business in service, manufacturing, & trade

sectors Glasnost led to more freedom of speech & press

Probably done to pressure conservatives who opposed his reforms Called for democratized political process: multi-candidate

elections New legislative body created Congress of People’s Deputies

& new office created: President of Soviet Union (allowed MG to

escape removal from power as General Sec of the CPSU). Publicly repudiated Brezhnev Doctrine to one of non-

intervention in affairs of WP allies: this led to revolutions in the Eastern bloc

Bush 41 & The New World Order

When Bush took office in 89, US: undisputed world power.

USSR was in its freefall from communism Gorbachev’s reforms had undermined Soviet hold on the

econ Baltic states were demanding independence

Many analysts (including Geo. Kennan) said the CW was over Bush was realistic politician, skilled at foreign affairs

Dir. Of CIA Ambassador to China US rep to UN

Didn’t say it was over, but said we were “beyond containment”

Revolutions of 1989

MG’s policy of non-intervention saw a set of revolutions sweep Eastern Europe

Poland Hungary East Germany- dismantling of the Berlin Wall Czechoslovakia- “Velvet Revolution” Bulgaria *Romania – kangaroo trial & execution of Ceaucescu

With exception of Romania , all were peaceful revolutions Slogan: Poland- 10 years, Hungary- 10 months, East

Germany- 10 weeks Czechoslovakia- 10 days & Romania was 10 hours (no love or wit for Bulgaria)

Interestingly, the revolutions were not limited to Europe (Tiananmen Square protests began in spring of ‘89)

August Putsch

Aug’ 91, hard-line comm leaders attempted to stop Gorby’s initiatives (specifically the reorganization of the USSR into the Union of Soviet Sovereign

Repub) by taking over the govt while MG was on vacation Aug 19, State Emergency Committee (GKChP or Gang of 8)

declared state of emergency and suspended the govt Gorbachev cut off at dacha in Ukraine- Yeltsin leads protests 8/20- Newspapers banned by GKChP; crowds gather at White

House (Russian Parliament) to protest takeover; tanks mobilize 8/21- GKChP sends in tank column to take out the protests;

but tanks blockaded by buses, street-cleaning machines, & people.

When 3 people are killed & tanks set afire by crowds, tanks retreat

By evening, MG has comm returned; denounces GKChP

Aftermath of the Coup

Coup is over, order restored, MG resigns position in USSR

Boris Yeltsin declares CPSU null & void. New union is est’d Russian Federation By 12/91, non-Russian repubs have all declared

independence Yeltsin puts country through econ “shock therapy”

Price controls abolished Crime escalates Yeltsin illegally abolishes Parliament after protests begin

as a response to skyrocketing inflation & corruption (barricade themselves in White House & he sends in tanks- we support him)

Angry? Dead? Confused? Scared?

Nervous?

For Bush, integrating former USSR into “community of nations” was preeminent task Despite referring to Revolutions of ‘89, even Bush did

not anticipate how suddenly the USSR collapse would occur The idea that 1 of 2 world superpowers would simply

vanish, that the tension would cease with no preconditions, and no shots fired would have been labeled liberal lunacy

For Bush, foreign policy was to manage this transition in such a way that Warsaw Pact’s demise would not be followed by a more cataclysmic (and worse) event.

If that could occur (smooth transition) than we were on the verge of a “New World Order”: where global harmony reigned (due to Western econ & political institutions)

Bush 41 & The New World Order

Panamania!

In May, ‘89, Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega lost support of US when he annulled elections which he’d lost

US angry w/ him over alleged drug trafficking & espionage for Cuba

Send 2000 soldiers down; begin exercises (violation of multiple treaties) Noriega puts down 2nd coup attempt in October Dec. 15, declares state of war b/t US & Pan US Marine killed next day; US mobilizes & invades on 12/20 Operation Just Cause was as controversial as it was quick

By Jan 20, ‘92, it was over and US forces returning home While 90+% of Pan pop approved of US intervention when it began; it

ended with Pan resentment over the thousands killed & displaced US paid millions to Panama, but econ slump continued into new

decade

War in the Persian Gulf

In 1991, most significant foreign policy decision of Bush’s presidency occurred In Aug, ’90, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait US, as worried about Iraqi invasion of Saudi Arabia, as

Kuwaiti sovereignty, denounced the action (Kuwaiti forces were defeated in 2 days)

Aug 7, US forces move into Saudi Arabia as part of Desert Shield

Series of UN (& Arab League) Resolutions were passed calling for withdrawal from Kuwait & setting a date: January 15, ‘91

On Jan 17, coalition of 34 nations (540,000 US troops) launched massive campaign against Iraq: 88,500 tons of bombs dropped; civilian & military targets destroyed

Hostilities End

Israel was the foremost target of Iraqi missiles- problematic

If Israel retaliated, Arab support for the war would falter US convinced Israel to refrain, even as SCUDs were

raining down on Tel Aviv In Feb, ground forces invaded 100 hours later, Hussein forced into unconditional

surrender Iraqi infrastructure ravaged; 20k-100k killed 181 Coalition troops killed Kuwait liberated Hussein retreated into Iraq; agreed to UN weapons

inspections

Oh Lord! I think he’s gonna give me

a noogie!

He’s crazy & red, but he’s so darn cute!

US-Russian Alliance

Chief effect of Soviet participation in the Gulf War was increased level of trust b/t 2 states

Bush signed START with Gorbachev marking greatest reduction of missiles since Reagan’s INF Treaty

Proclaimed new US-Russian partnership after collapse of USSR

I wonder if he can

smell that?

Whooee! I think that old boy farted!