On January 20, 1981, in Washington, Reagan was elected President of the United States, paving the way for changes in the world structure.

Public opinion generally believes that it was the tough policies of the Reagan administration that put pressure on the Soviet Union in terms of military spending, which ultimately crushed the Soviet economy and achieved the Soviet collapse and collapse that the United States expected. With the collapse of the communist camp, the United States became the only superpower in the world

Text/Zhou Qi

Former U.S. President Ronald Wilson Reagan was suffering from Alzheimer's disease for 10 years He died at his home in California on June 5, Eastern Time, at the age of 93.

Regarding his death, President Bush, who was attending the 60th anniversary commemorations of the Normandy landings in France, said, "He left us a country that he restored and a world that he helped save. During Reagan's presidency , America emerged from an era of division and self-doubt, and thanks to his leadership, the world emerged from an era of fear and tyranny."

The "Reagan Revolution" brought America's longest lasting prosperity<. /p>

Reagan is a political representative of conservatism. His election relied on the power of the "silent majority" of American conservatism. During his leadership of the United States, the conservative trend of thought has been in a state of decline for a long time since Roosevelt's "New Deal". After being on the fringe of American politics, it suddenly became the mainstream of American politics.

Conservatives emphasize order, public opinion, morality, and religion in the social aspect, and advocate personal freedom, enterprise freedom, trade freedom, and private ownership in the economic aspect. They advocate that the government reduce its intervention in economic and social life, reduce public expenditures and welfare expenditures, and give enterprises and individuals greater economic freedom.

The supply-side economic policy implemented during the Reagan administration ran counter to Keynesianism, which had previously occupied a mainstream position in the economic policies of Western countries, and was inconsistent with the monetary policy adopted by British Prime Minister Thatcher during the same period. socialist economic policies.

As an actor, Reagan's acting skills were only second- or third-rate. As a politician, even the heads of his allies thought he had a low IQ and limited knowledge. After meeting him in England in 1986, Margaret Thatcher commented that "there was nothing between his ears" (meaning he had no brain).

But Reagan's political skills were first-rate. He is one of the few presidents in postwar American history who can maintain good relations with both the media and the U.S. Congress. This created favorable conditions for his popularity among the people.

Because he was able to deal with Congress with ease, Reagan was able to pass a series of legislation in Congress to stimulate economic development, curb inflation and strengthen national defense. Under the guidance of conservative economic policies, the Reagan administration began to cut taxes and government spending and significantly increased defense spending. The implementation of these policies is regarded as a "Reagan Revolution" in economic policy. In 1986, Reagan overhauled the income tax laws, eliminating some taxes and creating exemptions for many low-income earners. Toward the end of his administration, the United States enjoyed its longest period of peacetime prosperity.

The "Reagan Doctrine" contributed to the end of the Cold War

In terms of diplomacy, until the Reagan administration, the United States still did not get rid of the shadow of the Vietnam War.

The "American myth" has been shattered, and the optimistic view of the American democratic system has been questioned. Especially compared with the Soviet Union, the United States no longer has any advantage in strategic weapons.

From the perspective of Americans, the communist bloc headed by the Soviet Union is expanding around the world, especially in the Third World. Following Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia, the Soviet Union invaded Cambodia in December 1979. occupied Afghanistan. Due to the Iranian revolution led by Khomeini in 1979, the United States lost its most loyal ally in the Middle East, which has important oil strategic interests. At the same time, its backyard Central America also faced the left-wing regime of Nicaragua and other countries supported by the Soviet Union and Cuba. The threat of armed struggle against the right-wing government.

In order to restore the military power of the United States and re-establish the confidence of the American public, the "Reagan Doctrine" replaced the policy of containment and was used to deal with the Brezhnev Doctrine and prevent the Sovietization of the Third World.

In 1981, Reagan's first Secretary of State, Alexander Haig, stated that the Soviet Union must understand that its days of unopposed adventures in Third World countries were over.

In 1982, in his speech to the British Parliament, Reagan advocated "consolidating the foundation of democracy" and called for a "jihad for freedom" against Soviet totalitarianism. Reagan's speech was praised by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as part of the ideological struggle against communism.

In his State of the Union address in February 1985, Reagan made a clear statement of the "Reagan Doctrine": "We must not undermine those who are risking their lives...to resist Soviet aggression and ensure our survival." The essence of this policy is that the United States provides economic, military assistance, and political support to anti-communist uprisings in Central America, Asia, and Africa. .

As a result, during the first Reagan administration, the United States’ support for the racist regimes in South Korea, the Philippines, and South Africa and the right-wing military dictatorships in Central America reached its peak. It also provided support to the right-wing right-wing military dictatorship in Nicaragua through the CIA. Rebel groups provide financial and logistical assistance and train them. But the support of the Reagan administration ultimately failed to prevent these countries from eventually moving towards democratization, nor did it use military subversion to overthrow the regime of the Sandinista National Front in Nicaragua.

Reagan pursued a policy of "pursuing peace through strength" towards the Soviet Union. The Reagan administration was committed from the beginning to rebuilding America's military power. During Reagan's two terms, he increased defense spending by 35%. During his first term from 1981 to 1985, the total U.S. military expenditure reached 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars, equivalent to 8% of U.S. GNP, creating the largest peacetime military expenditure in the United States. And an increasing proportion of military spending is spent on research and development of new weapons systems.

Reagan adopted a tougher policy toward the Soviet Union. He did not believe in containment policies and was unwilling to negotiate treaties with Soviet leaders based on mutual distrust. This led Reagan to propose the famous "space defense" in 1983. plan". Due to huge military spending, the U.S. fiscal deficit continues to grow. However, starting with the 1985 Geneva Conference between the United States and the Soviet Union, a new détente process began between the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1986, the United States and the Soviet Union reached a series of agreements including the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Short- and Medium-Range Missiles between the Two Countries.

When Reagan left the White House in 1989, the world was approaching the end of the Cold War. No matter what the facts are, American public opinion generally believes that it was the tough policies of the Reagan administration that put pressure on the Soviet Union in terms of military spending, which ultimately crushed the Soviet economy and achieved the Soviet Union's self-defeat and the collapse of the Soviet Union that the United States expected. With the collapse of the communist camp, the United States became the only superpower in the world, and the risk of nuclear war was greatly reduced. In addition, under Reagan's leadership, Americans regained their national self-confidence. American commentators believe that from a diplomatic perspective, Reagan may have changed the balance of power in the world more than any other president in American history because he contributed to the end of the Cold War. Because of this political legacy left by Reagan, even his domestic political opponents will respect him in awe.