Background

Grenada is an island nation within the Caribbean. Originally inhabited only by natives, the French seized control of the island in the late 1600s. However, the British would gain the island as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1779. It remained in their hands until 1974 where full independence was granted and Grenada joined the British Commonwealth of Nations [2].

After gaining its independence, Eric Gairy became the first prime minister of the country. However, his tenure became increasingly despotic; he used terror squads to eliminate opposition, prohibited other political parties, and stopped anti-government materials from being created among other thing. The United States did not intervene as this point because Gairy was still pro-Western [2] [6].

In 1979, a blood-less coup removed Gairy from power. Maurice Bishop led the New Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation Movement (New Jewel Movement) that seized power in Grenada creating the People’s Revolutionary Government [1]. This government was based on Bishop’s Marxist-Leninist views with close ties to Cuba and the Soviet Union [6]. The United States saw his socialist views as a threat because of his cooperation with Castro. President Reagan was also extremely suspicious of his intentions of building a large scale airport at the same time Soviet and Cuban supplies arrived on the island [2] [6]. Bishop restricted the free press, detained political opponents, silenced opponents, and controlled labor unions. Though, he along with his government was destroyed in another military counter-coup in 1983 as a result of a power struggle within his revolutionary government [1]. The Revolutionary Military Council under Gen. Hudson Austin removed all opposition forces from Grenada and locked down the island.

President Reagan saw the overthrow of Eric Gairy as extremely threatening because of the influence of the Soviet Union and Communist Cuba on the revolutionary government in Grenada [5] [6]. The militarization of the island nation by the Cubans, the construction of the large scale airport potentially that could be used for military action, and the Communist political model that Bishop based his New Jewel movement on all eventually led to the decision by Reagan to send US troops to the island in order to restore a legitimate, democratic government to power [1].

Summary of Conflict

After the counter-coup, which ended with the death of Bishop and the destruction of his government at the hands of another revolutionary military in Grenada, President Reagan authorized the US invasion sending some 1,900 troops initially in addition to smaller detachments of soldiers from other Caribbean nations [4] [7]. The mission goals of the invasion were to restore order, to rescue trapped US medical students, and to arrest Gen. Austin [7]. In a combination of land, sea, and air, US Marines assisted by Navy Seals and Army Rangers invaded the island from all directions. Initial objectives included the Port Salines airport that President Reagan believed was being built to house military equipment, the medical campuses where the US students were trapped, and the governor-general’s residence [4] [7]. At some locations like the unfinished runway, US forces engaged in firefights with elements of the Cuban presence on the island. After meeting stiffer resistance on the island, further reinforcements were brought in bringing the total US military presence to 5,000 [7]. In total, 599 US citizens were rescued with an additional 121 foreigners [4].

Grenada in the Present

As a result of the US invasion, Gen. Austin was arrested and the original constitution of 1974 was re-established. The first elections were held in 1984 leading to the creation of democratic based government under the New National Party [1] [2]. All of the recent elections starting from the new government were based upon free and fair elections, leaving the National Democratic Congress in control of the government as a result of the 2008 elections.

Grenada has also transitioned to an economy mostly based on services like tourism and education, becoming a hot spot for many Americans. However, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 devastated the island’s agriculture industry as well as damaged or destroyed 90% of the buildings on the island [1]. Overall damage was estimated to have been 2.5 times the annual GDP of the country. The United States is one of the largest donors of recovery money to the rebuilding process of Grenada.

Analysis of Critical topics

After Grenada was granted independence from the UK in 1974, Eric Gairy became the first prime minister. He became despotic trying to hold onto all of his power instead of resolving economic issues, using his special police forces to silence opposition. The US did not intervene at this point because of his pro-Western stance. Maurice Bishop then seized power, and tried to create a socialist state by allying himself with Cuba and the Soviet Union. Cuba and the Soviet Union provided support and money for Grenada. Maurice Bishop was then assassinated and taken over by paramilitary elements threatening the stability of the region.

The US invaded Grenada as a result of Bishop’s death and the apparent chaos in Grenada. However, Reagan used the reason of rescuing American medical students trapped in Grenada to invade. In addition, he had reservations over a large airfield being created with the help of the Cubans. Finally, he saw Bishop’s attempts to create a socialist state and allying with Cuba and the Soviet Union as a threat to democracy and to the region which should be mainly influenced by the United States.

After the invasion, Gen. Hudson Austin was arrested and the original constitution of 1974 was reinstated. Grenada was essentially rebuilt under the auspicious watch of the US and dependent on US financial support now that Cuba and the Soviet Union were out of the picture. The New National Party under Herbert Blaze won the elections in 1984, forming a democratically based government. Since then, every election has been free and fair. Grenada underwent economic reforms transforming into a bustling tourist attraction in the Caribbean today. However, after Hurricane Ivan in 2004, much rebuilding remains to be done.

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