Political analysts argue that the Reagan Doctrine as an innovation. According to Lagon: “The scope of the Reagan Doctrine was both broader and narrower than the predominant Cold War political doctrine of the United States, containment” (1994). The Reagan Doctrine played a role in Central America as well. For example, Anastasio Somoza of Nicaragua was overthrown by the revolutionary front in 1979. In addition, the Doctrine also affected Cambodia and Angola. In all the regions affected by the Reagan Doctrine, the U.S. officials always supported the insurgents and used them as proxies for the United States. The assistance of the insurgencies, especially in Afghanistan, destabilized the pro-Soviet regimes in the process of consolidating totalitarian control over their countries.
The first key element of the Reagan Doctrine was the balance of power. During the Cold War Era the US and the Soviets often clashed over Capitalism’s influence in the world against the spread of Communism. Soviet hegemony over east Europe had made it clear to the United States that its greatest threat was the Soviet Union and primary enemy was communism. Beyond the Central and Eastern European countries each superpower had allies in remote areas of the globe. Most of these peripheral nations favored the Communist idea of governance. Lagon states: “the relative balance in these Third World client states favored the Soviets in the latter of the 1970’s and 80’s” (1994). Therefore, Doctrines that began with Trumann leading up to the Reagan Doctrine shared major similarities of stopping the expansion of communism, such as the Soviet Union.
The Reagan Doctrine’s key move came into effect in 1986, over the objections of many advisers, the Reagan administration decided to arm the Mujahedeen with Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. The resistance gained tremendous amount of advantage against