The US president who declared the Cold War over with Gorbachev at Malta, yet whose caution nearly let history slip away
At the Malta joint press conference Bush declared: 'We can realise a lasting peace and transform the East-West relationship to one of enduring co-operation. That is the future that Chairman Gorbachev and I began right here in Malta.'
George H. W. Bush went from World War II naval aviator to oil magnate to the 41st president of the United States, bringing to the White House foreign-policy experience unmatched by any predecessor: CIA director, UN ambassador, and de facto ambassador to China. Upon taking office in 1989 he ordered a strategic review of Soviet policy, the so-called 'Bush pause,' that frustrated Gorbachev, but at the Malta summit that December the two leaders jointly confirmed the Cold War's end, and Bush's steady support for German reunification helped anchor the new European order. He built a multinational coalition to expel Iraq from Kuwait in the Gulf War, then lost his 1992 re-election bid after breaking his 'no new taxes' pledge amid a recession.
Activities and affiliations
Career Timeline
- 1924Born in Milton, Massachusetts, into a wealthy political dynasty
- 1942–1945Navy torpedo-bomber pilot; shot down at Chichijima, rescued by submarine
- 1953–1966Built Zapata Offshore oil company; Texas millionaire
- 1967–1971Congressman from Texas; two failed Senate campaigns
- 1971–1977UN Ambassador, RNC chair, envoy to China, CIA Director
- 1981–1989Vice President under Ronald Reagan
- 1989–199341st President: Malta summit ending the Cold War, German reunification, Gulf War
- 2018Died in Houston aged 94
Related historical events
- 1941–1945The Pacific WarUS Navy pilot in the Pacific WarHe flew Navy torpedo-bomber missions, was shot down at Chichijima, and was rescued by a submarine.
- 1985–1989The New Thinking and the End of the Cold WarUS president, confirmed the Cold War's end with Gorbachev at MaltaConfirmed the Cold War's end with Gorbachev at the December 1989 Malta summit, but refused major economic aid to prevent the Soviet economy's collapse.
- 1989The Tiananmen protests and the crackdown of 4 June 1989US president who combined sanctions with secret contactImposed an arms embargo while sending Scowcroft to Beijing.
- 1991The August Coup and the Collapse of the USSRrecipient of Gorbachev's last callHe received Gorbachev's final phone call as Soviet president, discussing the nuclear transfer and promising continued friendship.
The 1988 campaign: image-making and attack politics
Bush announced his candidacy for the 1988 Republican nomination on October 13, 1987, defeated Democrat Michael Dukakis on November 8, 1988, and was inaugurated on January 20, 1989. His three main rivals in the primaries were Senator Bob Dole, the evangelist Pat Robertson, and Representative Jack Kemp. Bush was long hobbled by the perception that he was a "wimp" who had only ever done others' bidding, and he fought it with a biographical advertisement stressing his World War II service.
The early race went badly. After finishing third behind Dole in the February Iowa caucus, the campaign produced attack ads; Bush then won the New Hampshire primary on February 16, and on March 8 his Southern "firewall" strategy carried multiple primaries, turning him from loser to front-runner in 29 days. At the New Orleans convention in August he named Senator Dan Quayle as his running mate, and he held his lead over Dukakis for the rest of the campaign.
Image management and attacks on the opponent stood at the centre of the campaign. Campaign manager Lee Atwater directed the effort to brand Dukakis, and media adviser Roger Ailes produced the "Willie Horton" advertisement attacking Massachusetts' furlough programme, which was criticized as race-baiting. Atwater later apologized for his remarks about Dukakis and Horton.
In his acceptance speech Bush pledged "Read my lips: no new taxes," a promise he broke in office, and he promised no major changes to Ronald Reagan's policies.