UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND The Reagan Doctrine: An Analysis of the President’s role in the formulation and execution of American Foreign Policy vis-à-vis the Soviet Union, 1981-1989. A dissertation submitted by Ciarán John Ryan For the Award of a PhD 2010 ABSTRACT This thesis examines American foreign policy towards the Soviet Union in the 1980s, and seeks to determine President Ronald Reagan’s relationship to the guiding principles of this policy, both in their formulation and execution. It is proposed that America’s strategy towards the USSR during this period could be encompassed by five key ideas, which this study names ‘The Reagan Doctrine’. These are: 1) Peace through Strength—the need to restore military parity with the Soviets, both in terms of conventional and nuclear power; 2) That the Cold War was a moral struggle, and needed to be articulated as such by the President; 3) That reliance on the theory of Mutual Assured Destruction was not a sound basis for national security, and hence the need to build a missile defense system; 4) That the Superpowers should negotiate not just to limit, but rather reduce extant nuclear stockpiles, with the ultimate goal of total nuclear abolition; and 5) that the Superpowers should diminish reciprocal distrust, and ultimately achieve not a détente, but a lasting peace. This study, more so than any other to date, has incorporated recently released archival material from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to help determine Reagan’s beliefs relating to and management of American Soviet policy. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with some of the key surviving figures of the Reagan Administration, including former Secretary of State George P. Shultz. Finally, a complete review of published work on this topic, both academic and popular, including books and journal articles, was undertaken by this researcher. The result is an original study on the Reagan Doctrine that cuts across the multi-disciplinary fields of international relations, and presidential and diplomatic history, and provides a revised perspective on both the Reagan presidency, and the end of the Cold War conflict. Certification of Dissertation I certify that the ideas, research, analyses and conclusions in this dissertation are entirely my own effort, except where otherwise acknowledged. Furthermore, I certify that the work is original and has not been submitted for any other award. Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the wisdom, patience, counsel and support of Professor Donald McMillen. I will be forever grateful. Thanks also to the University of Southern Queensland for the granting of a scholarship, without which I would not have had the opportunity to pursue this research full time. I am also indebted to those who have assisted in researching this dissertation, in particular the archival staff at the Reagan Presidential Library, and Dr. Brendon O’Connor. Finally, to family and friends, thanks for all your support. Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Topic Statement .................................................................................................................................... 1 Thesis .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Central Questions and Propositions ...................................................................................................... 7 The Need for a Revisionist Reagan Study ............................................................................................ 8 Literature Review ............................................................................................................................... 11 Interviews............................................................................................................................................ 22 Research Design: Methodology and Analytical Framework .............................................................. 23 Why Reagan is Misunderstood ........................................................................................................... 25 Outline of Chapters ............................................................................................................................. 30 Chapter One: Peace Through Strength .................................................................................................. 35 Peace through Strength: Official Administration Policy ..................................................................... 36 Peace through Strength in the Cold War: Deterring Soviet Aggression ............................................. 39 Reagan’s Call for an Arms Buildup .................................................................................................... 45 Weapons Systems ................................................................................................................................ 48 The Origin of Reagan’s Ideas .............................................................................................................. 52 1980 Presidential Election Campaign .................................................................................................. 54 Making his Ideas Policy ....................................................................................................................... 56 Chapter Two: Military Modernization ................................................................................................... 59 The Beginnings: Empowering the Secretary of Defense ...................................................................... 60 National Security Decision Directive 12.............................................................................................. 62 The MX ‘Peace-Keeper’ Missile ......................................................................................................... 65 INF ....................................................................................................................................................... 69 The Reagan Maritime Strategy ............................................................................................................ 73 Air Force: New Technology and Strategy ........................................................................................... 75 Commander-In-Chief: The Grenada Invasion, a Case Study ............................................................... 77 Reagan’s Role and Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 85 Chapter Three: Reagan the Ideologue .................................................................................................... 89 The Ideological Nature of the Reagan Administration ........................................................................ 90 The Origins of Reagan’s Anti-Communism ........................................................................................ 92 Reagan’s Anti-Communist Crusade: 1940s-1960s .............................................................................. 99 Friend of Nixon, Foe of Ford ............................................................................................................. 104 Reagan’s Radio Addresses: Advocating an Idealist Foreign Policy .................................................. 108 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 112 Chapter Four: Moral Crusader ............................................................................................................ 114 1981: Reagan Sets the Agenda........................................................................................................... 115 1982: The ‘Ash-Heap of History’ Prediction ..................................................................................... 119 1983: ‘Murder in the Air’ .................................................................................................................. 125 1984: Reagan Changes his Tone ........................................................................................................ 129 The Role of Nancy Reagan ................................................................................................................ 133 Reagan Challenges Reform: 1986-1988 ............................................................................................ 136 Challenging Reform from within the ‘Evil Empire’ .......................................................................... 141 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 145 Chapter Five: The Origins of Missile Defense Technology ................................................................. 149 Missile Defense: Reagan Administration Policy ............................................................................... 150 ABM under Presidents Johnson and Nixon ....................................................................................... 153 Reagan’s Visit to NORAD ................................................................................................................. 156 Missile Defense and the 1980 Presidential Campaign