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The following reflection on Reagan’s Westminster Speech—delivered this week in 1982—is an excerpt from our forthcoming timeline on the history of American foreign policy, featuring commentary from The Vandenberg Coalition’s network. The full timeline will publish later this month ahead of the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence.
At the start of the Cold War, Americans largely understood that it was at its core a struggle between two opposing worldviews: freedom and tyranny. From Kennan’s Long Telegram to NSC-68, it was clear that the United States was not just fighting for territory or economic interests, but the Western principles of human dignity, individual liberty, faith, and democracy. Yet as the Cold War approached its fourth decade, that resolve had begun to wane. As President Ronald Reagan stood before the British Parliament on June 8, 1982, his task was twofold—revive the belief that freedom was worth fighting for and provide a concrete strategy for how to win....
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