Assignment 1: The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy
Student’s Name
Institution
The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy: The Reagan Doctrine
Introduction
This paper focuses on Ronald Reagan’s doctrine that encouraged the overthrowing of pro-soviet governments through supporting anti-communist insurgent groups. The Reagan doctrine refers to a strategy that was aimed at eradicating communism hence ending the Cold War. This doctrine was the focal point that guided the U.S. foreign affairs until the Cold War ended in1991 (Greentree, 2016). The U.S. under the Reagan Doctrine sponsored overt and covert operations that helped anti-communist resistance groups and guerillas in an effort to end pro-soviet regimes in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The Reagan Doctrine was developed to reduce Soviet Union’s influence in these regions as part of the whole objective of winning the Cold War.
Situation that required U.S. diplomatic efforts during Reagan’s regime
An important instance of the implementation of the doctrine is the Nicaragua situation. The U.S. in Nicaragua supported the contra movement that ousted the leftist Sandinista regime from power. Similarly, the U.S. in Afghanistan offered material support to rebels in the country which assisted in ending the occupation of the Afghanistan by the Soviet. Therefore, the Reagan administration’s strategy to end the cold war included focusing on supporting proxy armies in several countries in the world to restrict the influence of the Soviet Union (Haftendorn & Schissler, 2019). The Reagan doctrine was contrasted several efforts that were made during the Jimmy Carter administration that applied the policy of détente with the Soviet Union.
The effects of these diplomatic efforts for the U.S. and other countries
The success of the Reagan administration in helping resolve conflicts in Nicaragua as well as in Afghanistan demonstrated that Reagan was making progress to stop the Soviet influence. For instance, the Marxist Sandinista regime in 1990 was replaced by a national opposition union in the country that was friendlier towards the U.S. and the West. Likewise, the Mujahideen in Afghanistan was successful in forcing the withdrawal of the Soviet military with the help of the U.S. (Haftendorn & Schissler, 2019). These successes that were advocated by the Reagan Doctrine were essential in the ensuing dissolution of the Soviet Union. Military action was successfully undertaken in Grenada which helped in reversing the public negativity towards different programs initiated by the Reagan Administration. Reagan through American troops invaded Grenada and liberated the country from its Marxist dictator. Grenada is an island with insignificant geopolitical influence but its liberation was an historic event as it signified the start of events which led to the end of the Brezhnev doctrine and the ...