“The Speech”: Reagan, the Russians, and the Bomb

Abstract

This essay examines the question of when did Ronald Reagan, whose animus toward the atheistic materialism of Marxism-Leninism is well-known, adopt an equally visceral dislike of nuclear weapons and the doctrine of MAD (mutual assured destruction) which relied on the prospect of incinerating of millions of Americans and Russians to keep the “peace”? Was this anti-nuclear animus present at the time Reagan delivered “The Speech” in October 1964, or did it evolve later? Did Reagan alter his position over time, or was he consistent in his desire to leave both nuclear weapons and communism on the ash heap of history? How did Reagan, whom one presidential advisor described as an “anti-nuclear hawk,” arrive at this somewhat unusual position, since most of those in the anti-nuclear camp during the Cold War were rarely “hawkish” on defense spending and using force to defend American interests? This essay answers those questions, arguing that his efforts as president to avoid the “nightmare of nuclear annihilation” became, arguably, and surprisingly, the greatest legacy of his presidency.