Ronald Reagan 40th President of the United States (1981–1989)

5/11/2010 1 Regan and the Soviet Union The Reagan administration adopted a hard-line stance toward the USSR. Early in his first term, the president attacked the Soviet Union calling it the "evil empire.“

5/11/2010 2 Reagan and the USSR (02:55)

5/11/2010 3 Star Wars

• Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a multibillion dollar research project for a missile defense system.

• The (SDI) was born out of the worsening U.S.-Soviet relations of the Reagan era.

• It was called "Star Wars".

5/11/2010 4 Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (01:31)

5/11/2010 5 Star Wars The Fall of Communism • The U.S.S.R. could not afford to compete with “Star Wars” because Soviet economy was suffering severe problems.

• Although “Star Wars” was never built, it helped to bring about the fall of the Soviet Empire.

5/11/2010 6 Iran-Contra Affair

5/11/2010 7 • The Iran-Contra Affair was a mid-1980s political scandal in the United States, under the administration of President Ronald Reagan. • This scandal uncovered information that the United States was providing funds to Nicaraguan Contra rebels. • These funds came from profits of weapons sales to Iran.

5/11/2010 8 • It was illegal for the Defense Department to provide aid to the contras between 1983 and 1985. • The Reagan administration used the National Security Council, an agency not covered under this law, to get around the restriction and provided funding to the contras.

5/11/2010 9 • In early November, 1986, the scandal broke.

• The operation was discovered after an airlift of guns was downed over Nicaragua.

5/11/2010 10 • This operation was directed by John Poindexter and Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North.

• John Poindexter resigned and Oliver North was fired. •

5/11/2010 11 5/11/2010 12 • Joint hearings were held to investigate this affair.

• North said he believed Reagan and Vice-president George Bush Sr. were aware of the secret arrangements, but both claimed to have been uninformed about the details of this affair.

• No evidence was found to link them to any crime.

5/11/2010 13 Address to the Nation on the Iran Arms and Contra Aid Controversy; March 4, 1987 (03:00)

5/11/2010 14 Pair Share

What cost so much that it helped to bring about the fall of the Soviet Union? What was involved in the Iran Contra Affair? Who were the Contras? Why did Regan want to help them? Why did he sell weapons? To whom did he sell weapons? Who was he trying to free?

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