Why did Reagan embark on a Second Cold War and what did he want to achieve?
When Ronald Reagan took office in early 1981, he emphatically denounced the discredited policy of détente and resolved to pursue a more ambitious and enterprising agenda with regards to the Soviet Union and its communist satellites. Historians later termed this shift in American foreign policy the “Second Cold War,” clearly alluding to the re-escalation of tensions between the two superpowers following a decade-long period of relative tranquility. This investigation will identify Reagan’s motivations and objectives in embarking on a Second Cold War, and it will conclude that he chose to do so in order to reverse the policy of détente and re-establish American strength, to de-legitimize the Soviet Union and bring about its internal reform, and to curb Soviet expansionism in the Third World. Before proceeding to the analytical portion of this paper, it is imperative to clarify the meaning of key terms and establish the proper historical context for this discussion. ‘Cold War,’ the coolin
