Reagan's Foreign Policy: The Doctrine, Controversies, and Legacy

Introduction: Reagan's Foreign Policy Outlook

President Ronald Reagan took office in January 1981, immediately following the presidency of Jimmy Carter. From the onset of his two presidential terms, it was clear that Reagan shared the opinion of many Americans who had lived through World War II and shaped their views on foreign policy from those experiences. As the PBS American Experience website notes, "As the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as dominant, and opposing, forces, Reagan shared the view that communism posed a legitimate threat to free people everywhere" (Editors). He distrusted the Soviets and their motives, and said so publicly, and he believed previous administrations had pandered to them. Instead, he wanted his administration to project decisive strength and force — he believed that was what the Soviets expected and respected. As one journalist observes, "Reagan's foreign policy statements emphasized, rather, American machismo. He seemed more intent on reasserting American power and pride — 'standing tall' in the world — than in reinventing its virtue" (Kane). Thus, the stage was set for a series of foreign policy decisions that would prove both laudable and deeply controversial.

He began to increase defense spending and expanded the deployment of anti-nuclear missiles in Europe, angering observers across the political spectrum. The American Experience notes, "On this matter he angered both conservatives and members of the anti-nukes community. For while he professed to deplore the existence of nuclear weapons, and may have believed they foretold a biblical Armageddon, he simultaneously deployed medium-range missiles in Europe" (Editors). This distaste for communism did not apply only to the Soviets; it extended to any region where communism was attempting to gain a foothold, and that translated into a very aggressive foreign policy toward countries facing communist revolt or insurgency.

The Reagan Doctrine: Origins and Expansion

Probably the most memorable and well-known aspect of Reagan's foreign policy is the Reagan Doctrine, first formulated early in his presidency to counter foreign insurgents and the spread of communism. It must be noted that the roots of the Reagan Doctrine lie in the Carter administration, which covertly began to provide financial aid to Afghanistan's mujahideen in their fight against the Soviet attempt to take over that country. When Reagan took office, he expanded the policy and ultimately crafted his own distinct doctrine (Scott 40). As one Reagan historian explains how the administration formulated it: "First, the doctrine emerged from the interaction among four circles of actors: the president and his chief advisers, the foreign policy bureaucracy, Congress, and a group of nongovernmental actors" (Scott 7). As the president and his advisors grew increasingly concerned about communist threats around the world, they broadened the doctrine to address them — a decision that explains many of the administration's major foreign policy errors, including its involvement in Angola, Afghanistan, and Central America.

Crucially, funding in Afghanistan aided freedom fighters including the group initially organized by Osama bin Laden. There is no direct evidence that American money funded bin Laden's fighters specifically, but the broader network eventually evolved into Al Qaeda, the terrorist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks and numerous other attacks around the world. This unintended consequence stands as one of the most consequential legacies of the Reagan Doctrine.

Grenada and the First Test of Anti-Communist Resolve

The first major test of Reagan's more aggressive anti-communist stance came in 1983 when U.S. forces invaded the island nation of Grenada, located off the coast of South America in the Caribbean. The official justification for the invasion was the safety of American medical students attending a university on the island following a coup d'état. The coup's leader sympathized with communist and Cuban leadership, and the administration believed they posed a threat to the entire region. The United States was victorious and withdrew after approximately two months of occupation. The world received a clear signal that the United States would not tolerate any advance of communism during the Reagan administration.

Conclusion: Assessing Reagan's Foreign Policy Legacy

At the same time, he is widely credited as one of the architects of the Soviet Union's downfall, removing the most dangerous American adversary of the Cold War era. Reagan used the Reagan Doctrine to challenge the Soviet Union and its client states around the world, and ultimately the Soviet Union gave way to a newer, more progressive government. Whether Reagan's policies deserve as much credit for that outcome as his admirers claim is debatable, but his policies undeniably shaped the Soviet Union's trajectory and left a lasting mark on the world.

Editors. "Foreign Affairs: Ronald Reagan, 40th President." PBS.org. 2003. 25 April 2008. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/40_reagan/reagan_foreign.html

Kane, John. "American Values or Human Rights? U.S. Foreign Policy and the Fractured Myth of Virtuous Power." Presidential Studies Quarterly 33.4 (2003): 772+.

Scott, James M. The Reagan Doctrine and American Foreign Policy. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1996.