U.S. Citizen Opposition to the Contra War

• Other Authors: Peace, Roger C. (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: History
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-7211

This dissertation is intended as a contribution to historical studies of antiwar and anti-interventionist movements as well as domestic influences on U.S. foreign policymaking in general. It presents a comprehensive account of the organized efforts of U.S. citizens to stop the U.S.-directed counterrevolutionary war against Sandinista Nicaragua and to develop transnational connections to Nicaragua. Unlike the Eisenhower administration's covert operation against the Guatemalan government in 1954, the Reagan administration's attempt to achieve 'regime change' in Nicaragua was not allowed to proceed quietly. Opponents of the war lobbied Congress, protested in the streets, organized hundreds of local organizations and committees, and conducted continual educational programs, extending the debate in Washington to communities across the United States. Anti-Contra War groups, in cooperation with Nicaraguan groups and agencies, facilitated the travel of some 100,000 U.S. citizens to Nicaragua during the 1980s. Dozens of sister city programs and humanitarian aid projects were created, aiding the very communities under attack by the U.S.-supported Contras. The anti-Contra War campaign was ultimately unsuccessful in ending the war, but it lent support to Congressional limitations imposed on the administration and it presented an obstacle to the administration's contingency plans for a U.S. invasion of Nicaragua. Notwithstanding its role as a dissident movement, the campaign was in line with international opinion and the diplomatic efforts of European and Latin American leaders to halt the war. This dissertation provides historical background on the Sandinista Revolution and the Contra War; analyzes the arguments of both the Reagan administration and its opponents; examines the development of the transnational 'solidarity' relationships along with the Reagan administration's contention that U.S. groups were party to a 'Sandinista disinformation campaign;' critiques the campaign's organizational structure and the relationships between religious, leftist, and peace activists; investigates a sample of local and state organizations; charts the progress of the eight-year campaign from 1982 to 1990; and offers an assessment of the campaign's influence and significance. === A Dissertation submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Fall Semester, 2007. === October 11, 2007. === Includes bibliographical references. === Max Paul Friedman, Professor Directing Dissertation; David Johnson, Outside Committee Member; Valerie Jean Conner, Committee Member; Matt Childs, Committee Member.