Ronald Reagan sent American troops to Grenada in 1983. The U.S.-led intervention, code-named Operation Urgent Fury, began on October 25, 1983, after political violence in Grenada culminated in the killing of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and the installation of a military council.
The Reagan administration cited the need to protect American medical students and other citizens, while also responding to requests for assistance from nearby Caribbean governments. Washington was additionally concerned about Cuba’s military involvement and a large airport under construction on the island.
U.S. forces, joined by troops from several Caribbean nations, quickly defeated Grenadian and Cuban resistance. The intervention installed an interim government, and Grenada held elections in December 1984. The operation was controversial: Britain’s Margaret Thatcher opposed it privately, and the United Nations General Assembly condemned the invasion as a violation of international law. It remains one of the clearest Cold War military actions of Reagan’s presidency.