Reagan, Thatcher, and the Diplomacy of SDI

Authors

Tim Anglea, University of Arkansas

Keywords

Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Cold War, Strategic Defense Initiative

Abstract

This article utilizes new sources released through the Margaret Thatcher Foundation and The National Archives of the United Kingdom, which contain an extensive record of correspondence by the prime minister on most international issues. While the sources necessarily approach SDI from a British perspective, they also detail wider European opinion towards Reagan’s initiative. Both Thatcher and other NATO allies shared many of the same questions and concerns regarding SDI. How would SDI impact arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union? Would SDI lead to a decoupling of the United States from Europe? And, most importantly, would the adoption of SDI undercut NATO’s traditional strategy of nuclear deterrence?

Recommended Citation

Anglea, Tim (2015) "Reagan, Thatcher, and the Diplomacy of SDI," The Ozark Historical Review: Vol. 44, Article 5.

Available at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/ohr/vol44/iss1/5