By: Jennefer Paddock
Professor Altman: POL300
March 4, 2012
The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy: The Ronald Reagan Doctrine
President Ronald Reagan’s Doctrine was supposed to sponsor anti-communist guerillas who were trying to overthrow pro-Soviet regimes (Roskin 58). President Reagan supported anti-communist groups, and Reagan argued that the American economy was on the move again, while the Soviet Union had become stagnant. President Reagan had morally opposed nuclear weapons since 1945, and he quietly worked to make the world safer from the threat of nuclear war. Under Reagan’s administration, the Reagan Doctrine was implemented by the United States to oppose global influence of the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War. The Reagan Doctrine was designed to diminish Soviet Union’s influence in Asia, Latin America, and Africa as part of the Cold War’s strategy. The Reagan Doctrine called both for challenging communism and extending freedom, and administration policy makers had trouble reconciling those goals. Most of the "freedom fighters" that the administration supported were allies of convenience, more appealing for what they opposed than for the values they espoused (Pach 2006). During President Reagan’s time in office, there was a situation that required U.S. diplomatic efforts, the diplomatic doctrine was followed by President Reagan, there were effects of the diplomatic efforts for the U.S and other countries, and there are advantages and disadvantages to The Reagan’s Doctrine.
Summarize a situation that required the United States diplomatic efforts during the president’s time in office. One of the most diplomatic issues during President Reagan’s time in office involved negotiations regarding his missile proposal. President Reagan hoped that defensive missiles designed to shoot down offensive missiles would allow for a huge reduction in the number of offensive missiles possessed both by
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