Ronald Reagan 's Policy Towards Foreign Affairs Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States of America. His two terms as president were one of the most important times in American history. Reagan was a very unorthodox thinker compared to other politicians. Unlike other politicians, Reagan did not see things as black and white. Instead, he thought there was a gray area. Reagan had a distinct vision, which he typically pursued with or without the support of his advisors. Three pinnacle pieces of Reagan’s vision were U.S. military buildup, anti-nuclearism and a change in the national policy towards the Soviet Union.
Reagan wanted to restore the United States’ strength through military buildup. Reagan believed that the United States …show more content…
In March 1981, he increased the military budget to 220 billion dollars (Cannon, n.d.). This was the largest peacetime military budget in American history. Most of the additional military spending went to research and development and procurement programs. The height of Reagan’s defense spending happened in 1987 with a budget of 456.5 billion dollars increased from 339.6 million in 1980 (Schneider & Merle). During his presidency, Reagan modernized both the nuclear and conventional forces. By the time Ronald Reagan had left office, he had raised the military budget 43% high of then it was at the height of the Vietnam War (“Ronald Reagan 's Military Buildup”). Many saw the Reagan years as the beginning of an era of innovation and an end to an economic depression. Even though there was positive economic growth, Reagan’s defense spending and tax cuts had left the country with a huge …show more content…
Cold War policy. He believed that disabling all nuclear weapons and winning the Cold War were closely tied together (Lettow ,2006). To help combat the nuclear problem, Reagan proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The SDI was one of Ronald Reagan more controversial ideas. It was a system which would protect the United States from Soviet nuclear missile attacks. This system was more fantasy than reality because the SDI could not target on the Soviet missile launch sites and cover only about 30 percent of the earth’s surface (Ronald Reagan 's Military Buildup). In 1983, Reagan made his plans of the SDI public. The public quickly nicknamed it “Star Wars” because it seems like some drawn up piece of science fiction (Ronald Reagan’s Military Buildup”). Even through the SDI was not fully realized during Reagan 's Administration, it was a great piece of leverage for negotiation between the Soviet Union and the United
Reagan wanted to restore the United States’ strength through military buildup. Reagan believed that the United States …show more content…
In March 1981, he increased the military budget to 220 billion dollars (Cannon, n.d.). This was the largest peacetime military budget in American history. Most of the additional military spending went to research and development and procurement programs. The height of Reagan’s defense spending happened in 1987 with a budget of 456.5 billion dollars increased from 339.6 million in 1980 (Schneider & Merle). During his presidency, Reagan modernized both the nuclear and conventional forces. By the time Ronald Reagan had left office, he had raised the military budget 43% high of then it was at the height of the Vietnam War (“Ronald Reagan 's Military Buildup”). Many saw the Reagan years as the beginning of an era of innovation and an end to an economic depression. Even though there was positive economic growth, Reagan’s defense spending and tax cuts had left the country with a huge …show more content…
Cold War policy. He believed that disabling all nuclear weapons and winning the Cold War were closely tied together (Lettow ,2006). To help combat the nuclear problem, Reagan proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The SDI was one of Ronald Reagan more controversial ideas. It was a system which would protect the United States from Soviet nuclear missile attacks. This system was more fantasy than reality because the SDI could not target on the Soviet missile launch sites and cover only about 30 percent of the earth’s surface (Ronald Reagan 's Military Buildup). In 1983, Reagan made his plans of the SDI public. The public quickly nicknamed it “Star Wars” because it seems like some drawn up piece of science fiction (Ronald Reagan’s Military Buildup”). Even through the SDI was not fully realized during Reagan 's Administration, it was a great piece of leverage for negotiation between the Soviet Union and the United