1. America in the 1980s and 1990s (1980-1999)
Lesson 3 The Cold War Ends

2. America in the 1980s and 1990s (1980-1999)
Lesson 3 The Cold War Ends
Learning Objectives
Analyze the ways that Ronald Reagan challenged communism and the Soviet Union.
Explain the end of the Cold War.
Describe other foreign policy challenges that faced the United States in the 1980s.
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
Contras
Mikhail Gorbachev
Glasnost
perestroika
Iran-Contra affair
Crash Course – End of Cold War

3. Reagan Leads with “Peace Through Strength”
Reagan plans to end the Cold War
Build new nuclear weapons, fund covert operations
Reagan builds nuclear weapons
Largest peacetime military buildup
Belief that Soviets couldn’t afford to build as many weapons (outspend USSR)
SDI – Strategic Defense Initiative
Land and space lasers used to destroy weapons and defend USA
Reagan & anticommunism around the world
Support Anti-Communist forces (Afghanistan)
USSR invades Afghanistan in 1979
Withdrew troops in 1984.
Supported Contras in Nicaragua

4. Reagan Leads with “Peace Through Strength”
Economic Pressures on USSR
Mikhail Gorbachev – leader of USSR 1985
USSR Economy suffering
Changes needed
Couldn’t compete with the USA Economy.
Reforms to USSR + Better relations with USA
Glasnost – new openness
allows criticism, some freedom of press
Perestroika – move away from a state-controlled economy.
Free Enterprise
Reagan and Gorbachev
Presidents personalities help to reduce Cold War Tensions
Modernizing approach towards bitter rivals.

5. Reagan Leads with “Peace Through Strength”
Analyze Data Based on the information in the graphic, summarize Reagan's 'peace through strength' approach to national defense.

6. Impact of the End of the Cold War
Fall of the Berlin Wall
End of the Cold War
Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungry hold election
Fall of Communism
Reagan – “tear down this wall”
Berlin Wall- Simple History

7. Impact of the End of the Cold War
Analyze Maps Compare this map to a current map of eastern Europe. What has happened to these former communist countries since 1991?

8. U.S. Involvement in the Middle East and the Iran-Contra Affair
Terrorism + Middle East
USA will learn the Middle East is challenging
(Religious groups / terrorist groups/ civil wars)
Iran-Iraq War 1980 – Terrorism
Brought USA into Middle Eastern Affairs
USA and Libya 1986
Muammar al-Qaddafi– leader of Libya supported terrorist acts
Bombing in Berlin + Use of Chemical Weapons
Reagan blames Qaddafi + Bombs Libya
USA and Lebanon
Civil War in Lebanon
Reagan sends US forces
Terrorists bomb headquarters in Beirut
241 marines killed

9. The Iran-Contra Affair
USA Negotiated with Terrorists
In the Iran-Contra affair, the Reagan administration secretly sold weapons to Iran to effect the release of American hostages held in Lebanon.
Weapons sold to Iran to pressure terrorist groups in Lebanon.
Money from the Iran weapons-sale then was used to fund the Contras, in Nicaragua
Both the sale of arms to Iran and the military aid to the Contras were illegal – Boland Amendment
1983, terrorists loyal to Iran take Americans hostage in Lebanon
Reagan assumes full responsibility but never admits to ordering the aid of Contras
Colonel Oliver North and others in the president’s administration were dismissed
1987, Congressional committees hold joint TV hearings 1988, several staffers indicted; 1992, Bush pardons Reagan officials
Iran-Contra Affair Video