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Election of Ronald Reagan
The people of the United States, like every four years, geared up to elect the President of the United States; however, the circumstances for the 1980 election were crucial. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan represented different aspects of the political structure. Carter faced many troubles during his first term, such as the continued stagflation, low national morale, and especially the Iran hostage crisis, which caused his defeat in 1980 to Reagan to try and resolve these issues. -
First Course of Action
Reagan had a goal during his presidency to combat the Soviet Union, which he saw as not only an "evil empire" but as a source of harm to the people of the world. To do this, though needed the support of the people, which led him to try and solve economic matters at home. Reagan believed an improving economy would boost American morale in his fight against the Soviets. He did this through government cuts in spending and pursuing major tax cuts for the American people. -
Assassination Attempt
During the very few months of Reagan's presidency, Reagan was subjected to an assassination attempt by an individual named John Hinckley, who tried to assassinate Reagan over an appeal to Jodie Foster. Reagan survived the attempt and awoke to his survival as a religious indicator that he was spared to defeat Communism. In addition to this, this event would later lead Reagan to not only become more religious, more than he already was, but also become close with the Pope, John Paul II. -
Building Up the Military
While the American military is the most powerful in the world today, the military of the early 1980s lacked fundamental messages of morale and equipment. After Vietnam, the support for the military decreased substernal; however, Reagan was committed to building it back up. He contributed to efforts to increase the pay for members of the military, raised spending in the military budget by billions of dollars, and sought military equipment upgrades through NATO contracts. -
Interactions with Poland
While Reagan spent much of his first term focusing on the domestic issues of the United States, the end of 1981 saw an event that engaged his interest. Poland, a Communist satellite nation, was declared to be undergoing martial law under the Polish Communist government and the Soviet Union. This was in response to the growing number of Polish people partaking in the movement to overturn Communism in Poland. Reagan supported this measure and provided aid from Washington and the American people. -
Economic War
One of the more popular actions done by the Reagan Adminsitration, to combat the Soviet Union, the United States partook in an "economic war". The goal of this war was not only to deprive the Soviets of a manageable economy but to show the world that Communism was a flawed economic system. From restricting Soviet cash flow, through not providing trade or technology advancements, to forcing the Soviets to spend money on their military, Reagan was going full force and put pressure on the Soviets. -
Westminster Address
While partaking in an ongoing travel in Europe, Reagan made a stop in London, where in Westminster he gave a more than presidential speech. His speech not only attacked the system of Communism, which he blamed for the subjugation of millions, but also made a call for nations to have sovereign choice on how they want to exist. He believed in a nation's ability to have its own destiny and decide how to co-exist on the international stage. Freedom is what Reagan wanted for these nations. -
"Evil Empire"
One of Reagan's most well-known statements, when he gave an address in Florida, stating that the Soviet Union was an "evil empire". Even though the Soviets already disliked much of what Reagan had to say and how he disliked Communism, this was the time that Reagan's most harsh sentiment about the nation was declared publicly. It has been stated that Reagan played these drums since he was speaking to an evangelical audience; however, it is apparent that this is how Reagan viewed the Soviets. -
SDI Program
Ronald Reagan already encouraged immense military spending during the early years of his presidency; however, the announcement of his Strategic Defense Initiative shocked even those in the United States. The purpose of the weapon would be to have the U.S. invulnerable from nuclear attacks from any nation. To create a weapon of that scale and magnitude seemed to be a financial burden for whichever nation wanted such a tool, but Reagan felt the matter was a necessity. -
Engagement in Grenada
Inspired by the Marxist revolt in Cuba, there was a coup against the government in Grenada conducted by Marxists. Unlike Cuba, Reagan decided that there would be no repeat of a Communist nation emerging in the Americas and, as a result, sent U.S. military forces to intercept and restore the government. Thousands of U.S troops were sent in for only a few days and lost only a little more than a dozen troops. Since this was the most engagement since Vietnam, this victory restored U.S. morale. -
State of the Union (1984)
With the election year in the midst, Reagan made the State of the Union an opportunity to discuss all of his accomplishments and measures that have been taken during his administration. From the rising economic prosperity to the harsh fight against the Soviets, and even a jump in U.S. military morale, Reagan was more than proud to list his measures. In addition, speaking about his matters of freedom and opposition to Communism was an opportunity that he always took pleasure in taking. -
Re-Election Night (1984)
Winning in a landslide victory, Reagan reminded all Americans of the immeasurable changes that had transpired within the United States and the world throughout the first part of his term. The Soviets on the retreat, U.S. morale rising, and economic factors seeming to fall back to pre-stagflation means, many Americans felt prosperous about the future of the nation once again. Also, Reagan's popularity even transcended political lines, with many democrats coming to his support. -
New Tides: The Emergence of Gorbachev
Throughout Reagan's first term, he dealt with various Soviet leaders during his so-called "economic war"; however, there was never one continuous leader with whom he negotiated extensively. This changed with the introduction of Gorbachev, a leader who could be reasoned with and dealt with on a year-to-year basis. Gorbachev would be an individual that Reagan would deal with for the remainder of his second term. Even when Reagan passed away, Gorbachev came out in a favorable view of him. -
Ongoing Matters with Afghanistan
Even though Reagan spent much of his first term observing matters of relevance in the United States and parts of the world, his second term would take a shift to international matters. During multiple times in the spring, Reagan would partake in conversations with Gorbachev about the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, which had been since 1979. These talks were meant to call for peace; however, as peace and a withdrawal seemed less likely, Reagan began to prepare to implement financial assistance.