How was the U.

S involved in the Nicaraguan revolution led by the Contras, revolutionary group,

against the FSLN government and was the outcome of the revolution affected by U.S

involvement? The multifaceted way the United States was involved in the Nicaraguan

Revolution, which was led by the Contras revolutionary group, against the FSLN government

was complex and driven by Cold war influence and external factors. The paper will delve into

the ideological motives of the Contras, the Nicaraguan public’s feelings toward the Revolution,

and to what extent U.S. geopolitical considerations and the threat posed by the FSLN

government were reflected in American support for the Contras. Furthermore, this study also

examines the aftermath of the Revolution and assesses its impact on Nicaragua’s social and

political landscape as well as what the broader global impact of the Revolution was in the end

and aims to determine whether U.S. involvement and the outcome of the Revolution ultimately

served the interests of the Nicaraguan people and advanced the strategic objectives of the United

States.

The cause and start of the Nicaraguan revolution.

- What were the external factors/ was their outside influence?

o Harvesting change: labor and agrarian reform in Nicaragua,

1979-1990.

o Peace and the Nicaraguan revolution.

- The beliefs of the Contras revolutionary group/ what did they want?

o The Contras: interviews with anti-Sandinistas. San Francisco: Synthesis

Publications.

o Hungry dreams: the failure of food policy in revolutionary

Nicaragua, 1979-1990.
 o Harvesting change: labor and agrarian reform in Nicaragua, 1979-1990.

- How did the population of Nicaragua feel about the revolution?

o Hungry dreams: the failure of food policy in revolutionary Nicaragua, 1979-1990

o Nicaraguan poetry, 1979-1990.

What caused the U.S to get involved in the Nicaraguan revolution?

- Was there Cold War influence that caused the U.S to assist the Contras revolutionary

group.

o United States. 1986. Nicaraguan government involvement in narcotics trafficking:

hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives

o United States. 1988. Iran-Contra investigation: joint hearings before the House

Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran and the

Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the

Nicaraguan Opposition,

- In what ways did the U.S assist the Contras revolutionary group

o United States. 1987. The downing of a United States plane in Nicaragua and

United States involvement in the Contra War: hearing before the Subcommittee

on Western Hemisphere Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of

Representatives,

o United States. 2000. Report on the Central Intelligence Agency's alleged

involvement in crack cocaine trafficking in the Los Angeles area.

- Were U.S interest in the region under threat due to the current FSLN government?

o Understanding Central America: global forces, rebellion, and change.

 o Gullible superpower: U.S. support for bogus foreign democratic movements.

What was the outcome of the revolution in Nicaragua and did it have global ramifications.

- Were the Nicaraguan people better off with the FSLN government?

o “Nicaraguan Revolution (1978-1990).” “Burning with a deadly heat”: Newshour

coverage of the Hot Wars of the Cold War,

- Did the U.S benefit from the revolution.

o “US INTERVENTION IN NICARAGUA: A SUCCESS OR FAILURE?”

I hope to contribute to class knowledge by analyzing the effect that U.S involvement in the

revolution had on the country. Particularly the social and political fabric of Nicaragua, as well as

on international law and relations. The research has analyzed the complexity of the Nicaraguan

Revolution including its tumultuous start, the U.S element, and the outcome of the conflict. The

ongoing Cold War directly shaped the way the revolution happened and was the cause of the

foreign assistance.

Xavier:

This is an exciting topic and one that should generate some interesting findings. As you begin

writing the draft, I would try to avoid covering too much of the narrative of the conflict (that is,

the before, during after), and instead home in on the Contra years themselves. The question you

raise about how the Contra war was perceived in the U.S. public is very intriguing, and I can see

this evolving into the main topic of the paper. For instance, you can show how newspaper

coverage in the U.S. described the war, what U.S. Congress and other government officials had

to say about it (already in your sources above), and what public opinion was. This alone could
make for a very original paper, especially if you can make some observations about what this all

says about U.S. culture and views toward Latin America.

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