unit 12 Flashcards
what are contras
anticommunist counterrevolutionaries back by reagan to counter the sandinista government in nicaragua. fear was that the communists in nicaragua would provide a safe house for the soviet union near the united states
iran contra affair
the US sold weapons to Iran in exchange for their promise to pressure terrorists in lebanon to release american hostages. it did not work and contradicted reagans promise not to negotiate with terrorists, but the US took the money made from this and funded contras, which congress had banned. multiple of his aides were arrested for the scandal, but were eventually released on technicalities.
what did the US do in el salvador and Grenada
the US supported a right wing group that was working against leftist rebels in El Salvador. congress made funding for El Salvador’s government dependent on human rights advanced to make them better. leftist rebels in Grenada overthrew the prime minister, and the US invaded the island to prevent it from becoming a communist outpost.
what was the bombing of the marine barracks in Lebanon
Reagan sent marines to Lebanon to bring peace to the nation which was in a civil war. a truck loaded with explosives ran through the barriers at the headquarters of the marines in Beirut and crashed into a four story building that housed hundreds of military officials. 241 marines were killed, and reagan withdrew the remaining troops within 4 months. this showed the complicated and dangerous nature of middle eastern politics
who was mikhail gorbachev
president of the soviet union ushering in a new era. he had the policy glasnot, which was about a new openness. people believed this led to rebellions against soviet domination. he also had the policy of perestroika, which was concerned with reforming the soviet union. people believed this fostered challenges to the soviet union. gorbachev started the reforms because the SU economy failed and he realized he could not match reagans military buildup
boris yeltsin
led millions of russians to rally in support of gorbachev following a coup attempt by communist supporters to maintain a communist government. after yeltsins demonstration, the communist party lost power and the soviet union separated. yeltin became the new leader of the republic of russia which was called the russian federation
what credit is reagan given for ending the cold war
he hastened the collapse of the soviet economy by building up arms, which compelled gorbachev to promote reform at home and relinquish control of eastern europe
john hinkley jr and the NRA
attempted to assassinate reagan which lead to calls for stronger restrictions on hand guns. this was opposed by the NRA, which casted itself as the defender of second amendment rights.
george h.w. bush
vice president under reagan, elected president after him. called for a kinder, gentler nation and casted himself as a defender of traditional values. he lacked support from conservatives because they questioned his commitment to their cause. sought to control federal spending by encouraging americans to volunteer.
yuppies
americans born in the post ww2 baby boom who made more than 40k a year. characterized by their attachment to flashy cars and possessions, and their obsession with making/spending money. material acquisition defined this segment of society.
aftermath of persian gulf war
bush’s approval ratings rose and then fell when saddam hussein was left in power and terrorizing the middle east. his supporters and people in suadi arabia where the US military had stationed resented the US and this helped attract people to the anti american propaganda from al Qaeda
ethnic cleansing in the balkans
communist leader Tito governed yugoslavia which broke up after his death and dividedinto many countries. bosnia and herzegovina were the victims of ethnic rivalries and religious rivalries. serbs attacked bosnians and croats, forcibly removing them from their homes and murdering them. the state sanctioned violence and murder is called ethnic cleansing
family medical leave act
vetoed by bush and passed by clinton. guaranteed full time employees 12 unpaid work weeks to care for a family member, newborn, or to recovery from serious illness
brady bill
gun control act named for reagans aide who was injured in the assassination attempt
kenneth starr and whitewater to impeachment
special prosecutor starr was hited to investigate investments the clintons mad ein whitewater development corp. he didnt find anything suspicious but did find that clinton had an affair and lied about it under oath. he admitted he lied and starr recommended impeachment on the grounds of the affair. most americans condemned the actions of clinton but did not agree with impeachment. he was impeached but acquitted.
