Chapter 28: The Conservative Resurgence Section 3: The End of the Cold War
Reagan Builds Up Military Largest peacetime buildup in U.S. history. Reagan felt USSR could not keep up. Strategic Defense Initiative: proposed land and space based lasers to destroy missiles.
Reagan Aids Anticommunists Trained Mujahadeen: anti-USSR rebels in Afghanistan. Funded Contras: anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua to Overthrow Sandinistas. Invasion of Grenada: keep from becoming communist and protect U.S. medical students. U.S. supported govt in El Salvador despite human rights violations.
Caribbean Map
Soviet Union
Mikhail Gorbachev Reforms USSR Met with Reagan 4 times between Glasnost: “a new openness.” Perestroika: Reform.
Cold War Ends 1987: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Berlin Wall falls: German reunification: Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania: Albania: Yugoslavia: End of USSR: 1991.
Boris Yeltzin
Problems in the Middle East U.S. soldiers bombed in Beirut: killed. Libya: U.S. claims Muammar al-Qaddafi supported terrorism.
Iran-Contra Affair ( ) “Arms for hostages”. – Iran promises to pressure terrorist groups in Lebanon to release U.S. hostages. U.S. used money to fund Contras. – Banned in 1983.
Reagan accepted responsibility but never admitted being aware. 14 indictments. 11 convictions. – Some appealed, some pardond by H.W. Bush. Oliver North: National Security Council. – Gave money to Contras.