On this day March 8 1983 President Ronald Reagan delivered a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando Florida in which he referred to the Soviet Union as the evil empire. This speech became one of the defining moments of the Cold War as Reagan took a firm stance against communism and the policies of the USSR.
The speech was a direct challenge to the Soviet Union reinforcing Reagan’s belief that the US had a moral responsibility to oppose communism worldwide. His words intensified tensions between the two superpowers but also played a role in shaping US foreign policy leading up to the eventual end of the Cold War.
80s insight: Reagan’s use of the phrase evil empire was inspired by his strong anti-communist views and his background in Hollywood where he had once fought against communist influences in the film industry.
The speech was a direct challenge to the Soviet Union reinforcing Reagan’s belief that the US had a moral responsibility to oppose communism worldwide. His words intensified tensions between the two superpowers but also played a role in shaping US foreign policy leading up to the eventual end of the Cold War.
80s insight: Reagan’s use of the phrase evil empire was inspired by his strong anti-communist views and his background in Hollywood where he had once fought against communist influences in the film industry.
