Ronald Reagan
Revolution Betrayed (St. James's Studies In World Affairs)
Published on 20. January 2020
616 pages
978-1-68053-798-7 (ISBN)
Description
The point of departure for distinguished historian Richard C. Thornton's insightful new assessment of the Reagan administration is Reagan's overwhelming re-election in 1984. His first-term policies had placed the United States in the ascendancy over the Soviet Union, and he sought to capitalize on that success by bringing the Cold War to an end on favorable terms. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, proved increasingly unable to bear the costs of supporting its empire and client state and adopted a strategy of détente. Its new leader Mikhail Gorbachev personified the new stance, and his rise to power in 1985 galvanized the U.S. administration's détente faction in renewed opposition to Reagan's strategy and advocacy of accommodation with Moscow.
More details
Person
Richard C. Thornton is professor of history and international affairs at The George Washington University, in Washington, DC, where he has taught since 1967. He received his B.A. in 1961 from Colgate University, where he was awarded Phi Beta Kappa membership; and received his Ph.D. from The University of Washington in 1966. In 2013, he co-founded the Institute for the Study of Strategy and Politics, where he serves as president. He is also a retired Lieutenant Colonel, USAF Reserve, and a former State Department consultant. Professor Thornton is the author of more than a dozen books, including Kings and Conquistadors: Spain's American Empire; the histories of the Nixon, Carter and Reagan presidencies, as well as histories of modern China, the rise of Mao, the Korean War, and the Falklands War.
Content
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Illustrations
- Introduction
- Part I: The Soviet Challenge
- Chapter 1: Andropov's Gamble: Strategic Dominance and Missile Defense
- Andropov Prepares His Challenge
- Reagan's Dilemma
- Soviet Leadership Dissension
- Exploring the Postponement Alternative
- Andropov's INF Gambit
- Grappling with the "Peace" Question
- Searching for a Way Forward
- Reagan Stands by Kohl
- Regaining the Public Relations Initiative
- Moscow's Pre-election Quiescence: Sacrificing a Pawn?
- Turning Point in Europe
- Reagan's Counteroffensive
- The Attempt to Harness Shultz
- Star Wars Trumps Breakout
- Intelligence Games
- Chapter 2: Where Will the Missiles Go? Moscow's "Analogous" Threat
- Analysis of the "Analogous" Threat
- Evolution of US Caribbean Policy
- Complementary Covert Action
- Missiles to the Caribbean
- Conflict Intensifies in Central America
- Congress and the Contras
- Reagan Prods Congress
- Reagan and Andropov: The Pace Quickens
- Suriname: Denial by Dissuasion
- Eliminating All Possibilities but One
- Grenada Signals and Soviet Diversions
- Preparing for Crisis
- Crisis Indicators and a Play by Shultz
- Grenada and Moscow's "Analogous" Deployment
- Bishop's Doubts
- Maurice Bishop Visits Washington
- Strategic Crisis Intensifies Factional Strife
- A Summer of Carrots
- Sticks in the Water
- Shultz Attempts to Soften the Edge
- The Heat of August
- Chapter 3: How Close to Breakout? Krasnoyarsk and KAL 007
- Intelligence Discovery
- Reagan's Quandary
- The National Security Origins of KAL Flight 007
- Casey's Covert Probe
- Midnight Mission from Anchorage
- Over Kamchatka
- Casey, Ogarkov and KAL 007
- Where was Andropov?
- Who Made the Decision to Attack KAL 007?
- Foxhounds and Ravens over Sakhalin
- Interception over Sakhalin
- The Attack on KAL 007
- Captain Chun's Decision
- North to Kostromskoye
- Co-pilot Son's Radio Transmissions
- Washington Offers a Way Out
- Moscow Rejects a Settlement
- Washington: One Jump Ahead
- Limiting Damage by Escalating the Rhetoric
- Casey's Plan: Discovery and Cover-Up
- No Resolution and No Agreement
- A Necessary Mystery
- Part II: Defeating Soviet Strategy
- Chapter 4: Denial in the Caribbean: Pre-emptive Strike in Grenada
- An Inexplicable Conciliatory Turn
- Reagan's Woes
- Prelude to Disaster in the Middle East
- Shultz's Failure in the Middle East
- Reagan's Attempt to Save Clark
- Shultz Gains Added Power
- Moscow Tightens the Screws
- Reaffirmation of the "Analogous" Threat
- A Hidden Move to the Brink
- The Attempt to Capture Bishop
- Bishop Insists on Collective Leadership
- The Battle Is Joined
- Death of a Revolution
- Washington Prepares for Action
- Outmaneuvering the Communists
- Decision in Grenada
- Diversion in Beirut
- Providing Cover for Thatcher
- The Invasion of Grenada
- Denying Moscow the "Analogous" Option
- Chapter 5: Deployment to West Germany: A Pershing Sword of Damocles
- Arms Control Negotiations Endgame
- Moscow Signals Hair-Trigger Alert
- The Politics of Able Archer
- Turnabout Is Fair Play
- Desperate Last Cards
- Moscow's Retreat from "Analogous" to "Adequate"
- Dual Strategic Transitions
- Policy Battle over Iran and Iraq
- Syria, the Iran-Iraq War, and Moscow
- Chapter 6: Preserving the Oil Fields: An Opening to Iran?
- Reagan's January 16 Speech: The Turn?
- Moscow's "Turn"
- The "Death" of Andropov and "Rise" of Chernenko
- Suspending the Syrian-Iranian Alliance?
- Reagan's Riposte
- From "Deep Freeze" to Fissures
- The Soviet Union: State Supporter of International Terrorism
- Crisis and Response
- Part III: Entrapment of the President
- Chapter 7: Strategy and its Discontents
- The Reagan Victory Program
- The Shift to the Strategic Defensive
- Signaling Opposition to Moscow
- The President, the King, and the Reagan Doctrine: Lynchpin of Victory
- Shultz's Struggle with the President
- Shultz and the Resistance Movements: Afghanistan
- Chapter 8: The Origins of the Iran Initiative
- The Strategic Issues in Dispute
- Early Maneuvering over Iran
- Reagan Prepares a Response
- The Israeli Connection
- Casey and the Saudi-Iranian Connection
- Saudis, Iranians, and Israelis
- Crisis and Opportunity in Washington
- Ledeen's Trip and Its Aftermath
- A New Draft NSDD and International Complications
- Chapter 9: Crucible of Decision
- The Strategy of Terror
- TWA 847
- Original Plan Gone Awry
- Algiers Redux
- An Intelligence Discovery
- Assad and Berri Take Charge
- Staking Out Negotiating Positions
- Tension Increases-Worldwide
- The Key Players Convene
- Endgames
- Aftermath
- Reconstruction of Events
- Chapter 10: Shultz and McFarlane Seize Control
- Cutting Casey Out
- Preempting Direct Contact by Cutting the Israelis In
- Greed, Politics, and the New World Order Faction
- McFarlane's Bait and Switch on Reagan
- Reagan Says No
- McFarlane Says Yes
- McFarlane and the First Arms Shipment
- Entangling Reagan in an Arms-for-Hostages Scheme
- The Second Israeli Arms Delivery
- Chapter 11: The Attempt to Shut Down the Iran Initiative
- McFarlane's Hand-Off
- The Hawk Deal in International Context
- The Hawk Set-Up
- The Hawk Entanglement
- The Geneva Summit
- The Arms-for-Hostages Trap
- The CIA is Caught
- Chapter 12: Israel Entangles the CIA
- The Pollard Affair
- The Israelis Prod Washington
- Hook, Line, and Sinker
- Reagan Turns the Tables
- The Policy Scramble
- The Issue Is Joined
- Part IV: Betrayal of Ronald Reagan
- Chapter 13: Reagan's Iran Initiative
- The Two Factions Collide
- The New World Order Faction Blocks Action
- Iran: The End and the Beginning
- Qaddafi and State-Supported Terrorism
- A Decision on Israel and Iran
- A Decision on Libya
- Taking Control of the Iran Initiative
- Chapter 14: Moscow Enters the Game
- Moscow's Shift on Iran
- The Iranian Response to Washington
- An Opening to Iran?
- Tehran Plays a Delaying Game
- Point at the Mulberry Bush to Curse the Locust Tree
- Chapter 15: The President Stands Tough
- Funding the Contras
- Reagan Rips Off the Ayatollah
- Consequences of the Air Strike on Libya
- The Tehran Set-Up
- Into Tehran
- Chapter 16: On the Verge of "Victory"
- Reagan in Command
- Secret Contact with Iran
- Jenco's Release and the New World Order Faction
- Crises and Opportunity for the New World Order Faction
- Contact with the Second Channel and its Repercussions
- Washington and Frankfurt
- Chapter 17: The Collapse of Reagan's Strategy
- The No-Summit Summit at Reykjavik
- The Second Meeting
- The Experts' All-Nighter
- Day Two, the Games Begin
- The Focal Point Is SDI
- After Reykjavik
- Forebodings of Failure
- Iran's Calculus Changes
- Meeting in Mainz, October 29
- Chapter 18: The Struggle for Power
- Exposure of the Iran Initiative
- The Iranians Say No to Rapprochement
- Battle Lines Are Drawn
- Democrats Attack
- Reagan Defends
- Reagan Engages, Loses, and Switches
- Shultz Marshals His Forces
- Chapter 19: The Defeat and Survival of Ronald Reagan
- Reagan's Action Plan
- Meese's "Investigation"
- "Discovery" of the Diversion Memorandum
- Last Chance
- Reagan Surrenders Policy Control
- Springing the Diversion
- "Survival" of the President
- Epilogue
- Illustration Credits
- Index
