Transcript Reagan wanted to restore US foreign policy

The Normalization of Relations with China
• President Nixon was instrumental in bridging the gap in
relations between the United States and the People’s
Republic of China.
• President Nixon’s visit in 1972 was the first by a U.S.
President and led to the thawing of relations and opening
of communications between the two countries.
Triangular Diplomacy
• Secretary of State Henry Kissinger applied “triangular
diplomacy” encouraging competition between China and the
Soviet Union to improve U.S. relations with both counties.
• Triangulation was successful in that the normalization of
relations between the United States and China was
instrumental in the promoting of détente between the
United States and the Soviet Union, including the signing of
arms reduction treaties.
Watergate Scandal
• The Watergate scandal was a major
political scandal that occurred in the
United States in the 1970s as a result
of the June 17, 1972, break-in at the
Democratic National Committee
(DNC) headquarters at the Watergate
office complex in Washington, D.C.,
and the Nixon administration's
attempted cover-up of its
involvement.
Reagan’s Domestic Policies
• Ronald Reagan argued that tax cuts and financial
deregulation were needed to grow the domestic
economy. This policy is referred to as Reaganomics.
Reaganomics
• Reaganomics centered on these principles:
• Reduce government spending
• Reduce income and capital gains marginal tax rates
• Reduce government regulation
• Control the money supply to reduce inflation
Reagan’s International Policies
• Reagan supported a policy of “Peace Through
Strength” which advocated for a strong military
which would deter aggression against the United
States and its allies.
• Reagan took a strong stance against communism,
famously demanding that the Berlin Wall be torn
down.
The Conservative Movement
The 1980s saw the rise of a new conservative
movement known as the “New Right”
New Right promoted
school prayer & tough
punishment for crimes;
Attacked abortion, the
ERA, & homosexuality
The Moral Majority – a political organization founded in 1979 that
supported conservative candidates and lobbied for prayer in public
schools.
Health Issues
• Health issues – one of the largest concerns was the
growing epidemic of AIDS (Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome). This epidemic spread rapidly
around the world and concern over prevention and
cure intensified.
The 1st documented cases of AIDS were reported,
but the Reagan administration did not move swiftly
because the disease was among gay men
Family Values & Social Concerns
Reagan’s commitment to conservative values
& cuts to social programs contributed to
growing problems in the 1980s:
Crack cocaine was 1st
introduced in the 1980s
The “crack epidemic”
led Reagan to begin a “War
on Drugs” & the “Just Say
No” campaign
Closing Task 4-13-16
■Complete the Introduction
to the 1970’s- 1990’s
worksheet.
Since its creation in 1947,
Israel was attacked by its
Muslim neighbors in the
1940s, 1960s, & 1970s
1973 Yom Kippur War
between Egypt and
Syria against Israel
By the 1970s, Egypt appeared ready
to recognize Israel in exchange for the
return of land in the Sinai Peninsula
Carter & Foreign Policy
Carter brought Egyptian leader Anwar el-Sadat
& Israeli leader Menachem Begin to the U.S.
for the Camp David Accords in 1977
? Carter did the
impossible
?
Egypt recognized
Israel’s right to
exist
Israel agreed to
leave the
Sinai Peninsula
Carter & Foreign Policy
But, the situation in the Middle East got worse
in 1979 when fundamentalist Islamic cleric
Ayatollah Khomeini led the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Hostage Crisis
Iranians seized the U.S.
embassy & captured
52 American hostages
(Iranian Hostage Crisis)
Carter tried negotiation,
economic threats, &
a rescue mission to
return the hostages
but all efforts failed
The 52 hostages were
held for 444 days
Reagan & Foreign Policy
■ Reagan wanted to restore U.S. foreign policy
–Blamed Carter for allowing America’s
international prestige & influence to fall
–Increased military
spending
–Confronted challenges
in the Middle East &
in Latin America
–And win the Cold War
with the Soviet Union
Reagan intervened in
Lebanon when violence
broke out between
Israelis & Arabs in 1982
But, anti-American
hostility led a terrorist
group to seize 6 U.S
hostages in Iran in 1983
Reagan’s response was to
“not negotiate with terrorists”
Meanwhile…
In 1979, a communist
group called the
Sandinistas came to
power in Nicaragua
Congress denied Reagan’s
plea to help Nicaraguan
counter-revolutionaries
(Contras) take back power
…Reagan committed to fighting communism &
maintaining order in Latin America
The Reagan administration developed a plan to
solve both the problem in Iran & in Nicaragua
The gov’t illegally
sold Iran weapons in
exchange for the release
of the 6 hostages
(arms for hostages deal)
The gov’t then gave
money from the profits
of the arms sales to Iran
to anti-communist
Contras in Nicaragua
The Iran-Contra Affair
In 1987, these illegal
activities were discovered
& the Iran-Contra Affair
rocked the Reagan
administration
Reagan said he had no
knowledge of the scandal
& Oliver North admitted
to running the operation
behind the president’s back
As Reagan was coming to power,
communist nations (including the USSR)
were beginning to face economic failure
In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev
took charge of the USSR and
began creating moderate
reforms to save Russia
Perestroika: Introducing
moderate capitalism &
allowing some business &
property ownership
Glasnost: Freedom of speech
& competitive elections
Reagan was able to work with Gorbachev
to reduce Cold War tensions
Closing Task 4-14-16
■Finish the Introduction to
the 1970’s- 1990’s
worksheet.