1988-George+Bushg5

 =George Bush Elected President =

Overview
George H.W. Bush became the President of the United States on January 20, 1989. He was the 41st President following Ronald Reagan. He is the most recent president to have been a World War II veteran, and the most recent president to have fought in a war prior to being elected. Foreign policy was a big part of the Bush presidency.

Central Issue
Bush approved military operations in Panama and the Persian Gulf. In May 1989, Panama held democratic elections, where Guillermo Endara was elected president but the government was taken over by Manuel Norieg. Bush sent 2,000 troops to the country, where they began doing military exercises in Panamanian territory. A US serviceman was shot by Panamanian forces in December 1989, so Bush ordered 24,000 troops into the country to remove Noriega from power. Noriega surrendered to the US and was convicted for drug trafficking in April 1992. On August 1, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. Bush began rallying opposition against Iraq in the US and its allies. January 17, 1991, allied forces launched the first attack, which included more than 4,000 bombings by aircraft. Ground troops invaded on February 24. Bush's approval ratings skyrocketed after the successful offensive. Also during the Bush presidency, the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and the Soviet Union broke up in 1990. Bush also went against his promise to not raise taxes.

Conclusion
George Bush’s election had a large impact on the United States and abroad. He settled conflicts in Panama and the Persian Gulf. He also saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disband of the Soviet Union. Bush continues his work today as he helped raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina and the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean in 2004.


