Ronald Reagan

• SDI - Strategic Defence Initiative, also known as Star Wars, aimed at developing technology that could shoot down incoming missiles from the Soviet Union.
• • staunch anti-communist
  • wanted to continue arm race
  • rejected detente
• Reagan's Evil Empire Speech; March 1983

  • regarded USSR as an evil empire and the soviet leaders as the focus of evil in the modern world
  • felt that USSR was a strong threat to freedom and democracy, and believe that USA should continue the ar race and win to fight for its principles and standards 
  • put cold war in an explicit moral context rather than a diplomatic problem
  • PURPOSE: call for a spiritual renewal in USA again evil forces (communism) and to change american's view of the cold war by bringing in the context of religion; (so that they would support his desire to continue arm race)
• MOTIVATION OF EVIL EMPIRE SPEECH:

  • By 1980s, Americans were afraid of the possibilities of nuclear war → there were many protesting against Reagan’s policies (which was to build up USA military) and wanted a nuclear freeze → hence Reagan was under pressure and wanted to convince Americans about the necessity of his plans to rebuild USA arm strength 
• Solidarity and Martial Law in Poland; Dec 1981

  • in 1981, pro-soviet polish govt imposed martial law to crush political opposition (ie anti-communist solidarity movement)
  • USA collaborated with catholic church to support solidarity movements which had gone underground (knowing the significance of catholicism in poland and that the new pope was polish)
  • By 1985, US govt spend $8mil a year to support solidarity, providing it with equipment, assistance and intelligence info
  • paved the way for revolutions and galvanised mass opposition against soviet rule in 1989
• Opposition to Soviet-Europe gas pipelines; 1982

  • natural gas was one of USSR's top exports and was important to its economy
  • french, germans and soviets had agreed to build pipelines to link siberia to W.E to allow USSR to gain revenue
  • reagan placed pressure on france and germany to stop construction of pipelines
  • reagan also prevented american companies from participating or financing the construction
• (continuation to pipelines issue in 1982)

  • reagan extended economic sanctions when any western company/govt refused to budge
  • in may 1983, it was settled for 1 pipeline instead of 2 to be built, and that W.E impose tighter restrictions on tech exports and lower interest loans to USSR
  • reagan hence slowed down USSR's construction of pipeline by 2 years, which deprived USSR about $12-15bil
  • brought about significant damage to soviet economy and economic pressure to end cold war
• • in 1981, reagan also announced sanctions against USSR, including stopping soviet commercial flights to USA and suspending certain trades
  • damaged USSR even economically as USSR was spending a lot but earning less
• in 1981, reagan also authorised economic, diplomatic and covert measures to destabalise communist govt in poland
• • by 1980, USSR was taking the lead in the nuclear arm race and possessed 3 times as many missiles as USA and had more powerful nuclear warheads
  • reagan wanted to increase US nuclear stockpile he feared soviet nuclear superiority and believed nuclear deterrence was under threat
  • afraid that USA will not be strong enough against potential USSR attack
  • felt that is USA was stronger militarily, USA would be at a better position to negotiate and pressurise USSR to end cold war
• nuclear deterrence: the threat of a nuclear attack to deter an enemy from attacking
• public opinion in support of arms control (nuclear freeze movement) ultimately pushed reagan to take limited steps towards arms control negotiation
• Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START); 1982

  • was reagan's proposal
  • both sides cut down their strategic nuclear arsenals to a total of 850 ICBMs and SLBMs, with no more than 5000 warheads, of which only 2500 could be on ICBMs
  • while it seemed that military of superpowers might actually be reduced, this proposal benefited USA the most
  • USSR had 3/4 of their warheads on ICBMs and would have to make drastic changes to reach the 850 limit for all missiles and 2500 limit for warheads
  • USA's missiles was more on SLBMs, to the soviets, this proposal favoured to USA was unacceptable
• INF talks; Dec 1981

  • reagan offered to not deploy, or even remove all intermediate range nuclear forces (INF) from europe, if USSR would remove all its SS-20 missiles
  • however, USSR had more the advanced systems then, and did not want to sacrifice their deployed systems for something USA had yet to build or deploy
  • hence in more favour of USA
• Euromissile Crisis; Nov 1983

  • as there was no progress made on the INF talks, USA sent the 1st batch of pershing II missiles to W.E.
  • provoked soviets into leaving INF talks and into deploying shorter range missiles in east germany and czechoslovakia
• • in nov 1983, USA and USSR came close to nuclear conflict
  • soviets misread operation able archer, a war games exercise by NATO, as a sign of impending nuclear strike
  • as able archer commenced, soviet forced were placed on full alert, until intelligence officers alerted leaders on both sides about the misinterpretation
  • shows the light level of distrust of reagan and NATO by USSR
• following euromissile crisis and operation able archer incident, soviets walked out of START talks in dec 1983
• SDI; March 1983

  • reagan's attempt to defend and protect USA from incoming soviet missiles
  • USSR viewed SDI as a threat even though it is defensive
  • SDI means USSR missiles would not threaten USA while USA's missiles still posed great terror and threat to USSR
  • and that USSR would be at a lower position to negotiate
• in 1981, CIA organised and supported the contra to counter the marxist sandinista dictatorship in nicaragua that was backed by USSR
• • reagan authorised CIA to train afghan mujahedeens in their fight against USSR, providing them with military and economic aid worth $2bil
  • the mujahedeens serve to harass soviet troops in afghanistan for nearly a decade and eventually brought about USSR withdrawal
• Reagan's support for anti-soviet forces in the 3rd world pressured the end of soviet involvement in the 3rd world rivalry