Transcript Reagan

Ch 28 Sec 2.1: The Reagan Years
____________ - (SDI) nuclear defense program based on
using satellites in space to shoot down incoming Soviet
nuclear missiles
____________ - new leader of the Soviet Union (1985) who
showed a wiliness to negotiate weapons reduction plans
with Reagan but only if the United States gave up their SDI
(“Star Wars”) program
____________ - 1986 space shuttle explosion that was
watched by many Americans live on TV due to the fact that
a teacher was the first non-astronaut on board. Set back
put a hold on the development of SDI
____________ - the United States should support guerilla
groups who were fighting to overthrow communist
governments
____________ - Regan Administration officials were caught in
a controversial plan to secretly sell weapons to Iran and use
those profits to illegally fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua who
then received their aid with the use of illegal drug runners
Textbook Assignment (pp.868-871)
Section 2.2: The Reagan Years
1) How did President Reagan attempt to gain
“peace through strength” with the Soviet
Union?
2) In the Iran-Contra scandal, who did members
of the Reagan Administration sell weapons to
and who received the profits from this sale?
3) What Reagan program was given the
nickname “Star Wars” and what was it suppose
to be able to accomplish?
4) Who became leader of the Soviet Union in
1985 and what steps did he and Reagan take
to move towards peaceful relations?
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Chapter Objectives
Section 2.2: The Reagan Years
• Discuss Reagan’s policies toward the Soviet
Union.
• Identify the events surrounding the Iran-Contra
scandal.
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Reagan Builds Up the Military
• President Reagan adopted a new foreign policy that
rejected containment and détente.
• Reagan’s phrase
regarding the
Soviet Union was
“peace through
strength.”
• Regarded the
Soviet Union as
“The Evil Empire”
(pages 868–869)
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The dustbin of history is littered with remains of
those countries that relied on diplomacy to secure
their freedom. We must never forget...in the
final analysis...that it is our military, industrial,
and economic strength that offers the best
guarantee of peace for America in times of danger.
President Ronald Reagan
Reagan Builds Up the Military
• He launched the
largest peacetime
military buildup in
American history.
• With the increase
in the military
buildup, the
defense budget
drove the annual
budget deficit
from $80 billion to
over $200 billion.
(pages 868–869)
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New Approaches to Arms Control
• Reagan deployed nuclear missiles in Western Europe
to counter Soviet missiles in Eastern Europe.
• This action created a new peace movement, with
protestors calling for a “nuclear freeze.”
(pages 870–871)
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New Approaches to Arms Control
• Reagan offered to cancel
the deployment if the
Soviets removed their
missiles from Eastern
Europe.
• He proposed Strategic
Arms Reduction Talks
(START) to reduce the
number of missiles on
each side by half.
• The Soviets refused.
(pages 870–871)
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New Approaches to Arms Control
• In 1983 Reagan proposed the
Strategic Defense Initiative
(SDI), nicknamed “Star Wars.”
• This plan called for the
development of weapons that
could intercept and destroy
incoming missiles.
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(cont.)
“Star Wars” copyrighted?
When Ronald Reagan referred to the
Soviet Union as “The Evil Empire”
George Lucas looked the other way,
but when he nicknamed the SDI
program “Star Wars” in 1983 (the year
that Return of the Jedi was released)
the director tried to sue the government
from using the name, but failed.
New Approaches to Arms Control
(cont.)
• In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev, the new leader of
the Soviet Union, agreed to resume arms talks
with the United States.
• Reagan and Gorbachev
met in a series of summit
meetings.
(pages 870–871)
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New Approaches to Arms Control
(cont.)
• Gorbachev promised to cut back Soviet nuclear
forces if Reagan would agree to give up SDI.
• Reagan refused, but he challenged the Soviet leader
to make reforms and tear down the Berlin Wall.
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The SDI hurdle is removed by a
tragedy in 1986
SDI became a non-factor in
negotiations between Reagan
and Gorbachev when tragedy
struck the NASA program in
January 1986 when the Space
Shuttle Challenger explosion
put the American space program
in a position of self-analysis for
the remainder of the 1980s.
New Approaches to Arms Control
(cont.)
• In December 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev signed
the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty
that called for the destruction of nuclear weapons.
(pages 870–871)
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New Approaches to Arms Control
(cont.)
• The Soviet Union reduced military spending, which
eventually led to economic and political reforms
and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe
and in the Soviet Union.
(pages 870–871)
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The Reagan Doctrine
• Reagan believed that the United States should
support guerrilla groups trying to overthrow
Communist or pro-Soviet governments.
• This became known as
the Reagan Doctrine.
• Reagan sent $570
million to aid Afghan
guerrillas in
Afghanistan.
• The Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan was
unsuccessful due to a
huge Afghan
resistance.
• The Soviets withdrew
from the region in
1988.
(pages 869–870)
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The Reagan Doctrine (cont.)
• Reagan, concerned
about Soviet influence
in Nicaragua, began
secretly arming an
anti-Sandinista
guerrilla force known
as the contras,
Spanish for counterrevolutionary.
(pages 869–870)
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The Reagan Doctrine (cont.)
• After Congress learned
of the policy, they
banned further aid to
the contras.
• The Iran-Contra
scandal became news
in November 1986.
• It was discovered that
individuals in the
Reagan administration
were illegally
supporting contras.
• The investigation was
led by a freshman
senator John Kerry
from Massachusetts.
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(pages 869–870)
The Reagan Doctrine (cont.)
• Weapons were sold to Iran through Israel in exchange
for the release of various American hostages being
held in the Middle East (mostly Lebanon).
• The profits from the arms
sales were sent to the
contras.
• Even more disturbing was
the revelation that the aid
was being delivered by
drug trafficking planes that
would fly supplies to the
Contras and return to the
U.S. with their planes
carrying illegal drugs.
(pages 869–870)
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The Reagan Doctrine (cont.)
• Marine Colonel Oliver North, one of the main figures
in the scandal, testified that he and other NSC and
CIA officials attempted to cover up their actions.
(pages 869–870)
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The Reagan Doctrine (cont.)
• Some people say that
Reagan knew of the
entire plan to aid the
contras – if true he was
acting against the direct
orders of Congress and
committing illegal
activities.
• Others say that Reagan
had no clear
understanding of the
plan – if true it shows a
president that is “out of
the loop” and is not truly
in control of his own
White House.
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