US INVASION OF GRENADA

MAJOR CAUSES

• Triggered by a bloody military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government.
• internal power struggle ended with the deposition and murder of revolutionary Prime Minister
• the bombing of the U.S. Marine barrack

CHRONOLOGY OF MAJOR EVENTS

• The Bishop government began constructing the Point Salines International Airport 1954
• Grenada gained independence from United Kingdom in 1975
• The leftist new jewel movement seized power in 1979
• Invasion was in 1982

GROUPS INVOLVED

• Regional Security System
• These United States
• Jamaca
• 353 Caribbean allies

HOW ITS CONNECTED TO THE COLD WAR

• The U.S. government accused Grenada of constructing facilities to aid a Soviet-Cuban military
• increased Soviet interest in the island
• airport was to become a Cuban-Soviet forward military airbase

SHOT-TERM

• it was criticized by the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United Nations General Assembly
• The U.S. awarded more than 5,000 medals for merit and valor

LONG-TERM

• The date of the invasion is now a national holiday in Grenada, called Thanksgiving Day
• International Airport was renamed in honor of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop

THE LASTING EFFECTS

• Scoon assumed power as interim head of government.
• U.S. forces remained in Grenada
• United Nations General Assembly condemned it as "a flagrant violation of international law"