Transcript: Chapter 18

Narrator: The face that Reagan showed the world early in his term was that of his hawkish advisers -- provocative and uncompromising.

Reagan: The United States is prepared to cancel its deployment of Pershing 2 and ground-launched missiles if the Soviets will dismantle their SS-20, SS-4 and SS-5 missiles. This would be an historic step. With Soviet agreement, we could together substantially reduce the dread threat of nuclear war which hangs over the people of Europe.

Reporter: Mr. President, what are the chances the Soviet Union will accept your proposals?

Tarasenko: It was took as a joke. Nobody in his right mind thought of the possibility of zero-option. No. We, at that time, we thought that we would be able to make a deal. We'll keep part of our missiles. We'll somehow split Europe and the United States. It was always in the cards ... this big game. Say, mmm, to, mmm, make some division between European ... major European countries and the United States ... playing on their fears ... fears of nuclear war, you know ... this winter ... nuclear winter or some awful scenarios.

Narrator: The Soviets sought to exploit legitimate European anxieties of a nuclear war fought on the soil of Europe, already bristling with nuclear weapons on both sides. Demonstrators marched for a nuclear free Europe. If they succeeded, the NATO alliance which had held together for 32 years to thwart Soviet advances would be in shambles.

Tony Benn: This may be, this may be the greatest political meeting ever held in this country.

Narrator: Reagan arrived in Great Britain as NATO's crisis escalated.

Speaker: Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President Reagan.

Narrator: In his speech to Parliament he went beyond the missile debate to highlight his broader goals, the crusade of his lifetime.

Reagan: What I am describing now is a plan and a hope for the long term. The march of freedom and democracy which will leave Marxism, Leninism, on the ash heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people.

Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister: Ash heap of history. Hitler had been dispatched to the ash heap of history. If you look at that whole sentence, he was saying that our purpose is that these tyrannists, as past tyrannists, should be consigned to the ash heap of history. He was right.

Reagan: Let us now begin a major effort to secure the best, a crusade for freedom that will engage the faith and fortitude of the next generation. For the sake of peace and justice, let us move toward a world in which all people are at last free to determine their own destiny. Thank you.

Narrator: As he preached his message of freedom and built up America's defenses, Reagan avoided talking to the Russians. But he knew that would change.

Shultz: He wanted to engage with the Soviets. You kind of got the impression from a distance that he didn't, that he just wanted to be militarily strong and that was it. But that wasn't it at all. He could see as a good negotiator that you negotiate effectively when you're strong but also that your strength erodes unless you use it. As a negotiator he didn't want to just stand on strength.

Narrator: But Reagan seldom took the initiative. He has been compared to a Turkish pasha awaiting overtures from his advisers. In February 1983 Secretary Shultz asked if he wanted to talk to Ambassador Dobrynin.

George Shultz, Secretary of State: And he said, wonderful. And that set off a big fight inside the White House because his staff didn't want him to do that. I think that they didn't want to have these discussions, and they didn't have as much confidence in him as I did. But he just smiled and brushed them off and said, bring him over. And I did.

Narrator: Reagan pushed human rights with Dobrynin, urging him to help with the emigration of Russian Pentecostals, Christian dissidents who had been living in the basement of the American embassy in Moscow for almost five years. A few months later they were allowed to leave the country.

Shultz: And the deal was we'll let them out if you don't crow. And Ronald Reagan never said a word. It was the first deal he made, but it was unknown, and I think it was impressive to the Soviets because it showed them number one, he kept his word, even though it was very tempting politically to trumpet what he had done. And number two, it showed them that he really cared about human rights.

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