Reagan Doctrine Scholars Studying U.S. Foreign Relations

Reagan Doctrine

Scholars studying U.S. foreign relations have long argued that there is great continuity in the conduct of Presidential Administrations. Very often, a policy started by one President continues under the next one. This has especially been the case since World War II. For example, while President Truman began to assist the French to re-take Indochina from local revolutionary forces, in a purported attempt to contain communism, President Eisenhower began to send U.S. advisers to continue the struggle against Communism. President Kennedy escalated it by sending more advisers and President Johnson turned it into a full-scale war. Nevertheless, scholars also note that some Presidents come up with a doctrine that separates them from others. During the Cold War, doctrines pursued by U.S. Presidents, one way or another, dealt with containing Communism. But it was President Reagan who specifically outlined a doctrine, calling for an outright sponsorship of guerilla forces who were trying to overthrow Communist or pro-Soviet regimes (Roskin & Berry, 2012). The pursuit of the doctrine left a mixed legacy, as it has helped end the Soviet regime on the one hand, but also contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of people in Central America on the other.

When Ronald Reagan presided over the Presidency of the United States, the Cold War was at a hot point, both Western and Eastern blocs maintaining a policy of "mutually assured destruction" (MAD), ensuring that an attack by one bloc would provoke a retaliatory strike that would destroy the other. The policy prevented both camps from attacking each other directly. Both the Soviets and the Americans, however, engaged in proxy wars throughout the Third World, supplying their own allies, be they governments or revolutionary forces, with cash, weaponry, and political support. President Reagan entered the Oval Office a few months after the Soviets had demonstrated their resolve by invading Afghanistan. Reagan believed that the policy of MAD was immoral -- on September 26, 1983, a defective Soviet satellite reported mistakenly that the U.S. nuclear missile had been launched, almost triggering a nuclear war -- and so was the Soviet Union which Reagan dubbed the "evil empire" in a famous speech in 1983. He was convinced that the Soviets were bent on world domination and the United States therefore needed a military build-up and a greater resolve to stand up to the Soviet Union ("American President," n.d.).

Reagan also believed that the policies of preceding Presidents had weakened America's position in the world. The SALT II, signed by President Nixon in attempts to maintain a nuclear parity with the Soviet Union, actually favored the Soviets, Reagan thought. America's reluctance to engage in military interventions as a result of the Vietnam syndrome also contributed to the Soviet resolve in spreading communism far beyond its traditional sphere of influence. Several governments and revolutionary forces in Central and South America were rebelling against America's traditional allies, demanding socialist-style equality and egalitarianism. Reagan saw these developments as an attack on the Western civilization. He therefore also appealed to the fundamentalist Christians in America, depicting the struggle against Communism as the battle between the forces of good and evil. Since the ultimate goal of the battle was to fight the main "focus of evil in the world" (i.e. Communism), Reagan would be willing to support military dictators and murderous guerillas -- as long as the latter fought against Soviet and pro-Soviet regimes ("American President," n.d.).

Although Reagan began to pursue his doctrinal policies soon after assuming Presidency (for example, the U.S. military directly intervened in Grenada in 1983 in alleged fight against Communist expansion in the Western hemisphere), he announced his doctrine in his State of the Union Address on February 6, 1985. He the speech, Reagan outlined a policy of countering the Soviets by assisting anti-Soviet revolutionary forces around the world. "Freedom is not the sole prerogative of a chosen few," he said, "it is the universal right of all God's children." America's "mission," therefore, was to "nourish and defend freedom and democracy" wherever it was necessary. Reagan said: "We must stand by our democratic allies. And we must not break faith with those who are risking their lives -- on every continent, from Afghanistan to Nicaragua -- to defy Soviet-supported aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth. . . . Support for freedom fighters is self-defense" (Reagan, 1985). "The Reagan Doctrine," Charles Krauthammer, one of the strongest supporters of the doctrine, said, "proclaims overt and unashamed American support for anti-Communist revolution. The grounds are justice, necessity and democratic tradition" (Krauthammer, 1985). That was the official announcement of the Reagan Doctrine.

Reagan backed up his words with direct actions. Besides massive military build-up and the announcement of the ambitious "Star Wars" program, Reagan significantly increased covert assistance to Afghan forces fighting the Soviets. He called the Mujahedeen "our brothers" and "freedom fighters," at one time receiving a delegate from Afghanistan in his office. He supported anti-Communist forces in Angola, Ethiopia, and especially Central America. American military support increased for Guatemalan and Salvadoran governments, mired in savage wars against local Marxist revolutionaries. The most notable example of the Reagan's doctrinal policy was his support for Contras in Nicaragua. The Contras were engaged in horrendous human rights violations and as a result the Congress banned American military support for them. The Reagan Administration then allowed the sale of weaponry to Iran -- America's enemy at the time and at war with Iraq (which ironically was America's ally at the time) -- diverting the profits to Nicaraguan Contras. When the policy was exposed, it was a huge scandal known as the "Iran-Contra" affair.