“Peace through strength” is the accumulation of military power and security assets by a country to encourage an amenable diplomatic atmosphere with other countries.
Origin of “Peace Through Strength”
The phrase peace through strength is attributed to the policies of Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138.
Hadrian strengthened the empire’s frontier security with walls in modern-day England, Switzerland, and Germany.
The emperor also encouraged the use of non-residents as defense forces to bolster existing troops. Elizabeth Speller’s Following Hadrian included the passage: “His agenda was clear: peace through strength, or failing that, peace through threat.”
Google’s Ngram Viewer shows that peace through strength was non-existent in American texts until 1937.
Bernard Baruch’s 1952 book Peace through Strength and Cold War tensions brought the term phrase into the fore.
Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater used peace through strength in a September 1964 speech, saying that he promised “an administration that will keep the peace and keep faith with freedom at the same time.”
In American politics, Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan cemented the phrase during his 1980 campaign.
He argued that President Jimmy Carter’s administration failed to maintain the “margin of safety” between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Reagan advocated for negotiation with the declining Soviet Union as well as a significant military buildup to thwart the global spread of communism.
After his election, the Reagan administration demonstrated peace through strength by promoting increased funding for strategic nuclear weapons, new weapon systems, and quick-strike forces.
Reagan’s advisors also advocated for the capability to defeat Soviet military assets moving anywhere in the world. The president met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for direct talks on five occasions between 1985 and 1988.
Reagan’s use of peace through strength is often attributed as a cause for the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.
The Republican Party platform included this phrase in every election from 1980 to 2016. The 2016 platform mentioned this concept by stating” “As Americans and as Republicans we wish for peace – so we insist on strength.” The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute issues Peace Through Strength Awards each year to public officials who have supported American security and freedom.
Use of “Peace Through Strength” in a sentence
The Hill (December 3, 2019): “Thirty years have passed since President Reagan left office, but his vision for ‘peace through strength’ still defines the world view of Americans, who remain steadfast in their support for a strong military that both keeps the peace and advances the values of freedom and democracy abroad.”
Foreign Policy (October 15, 2013): “Peace through strength is not a lonely position. In fact, there are numerous voices in the United States and in Israel calling for more political and diplomatic pressure and engagement.”
The Washington Post (August 19, 1980): “Ronald Reagan accepted the endorsement of the Veterans of Foreign Wars today with a pledge to pursue a policy of ‘peace through strength’ that he said would restore ‘a defense capability that provides a margin of safety for America.’”