Operation Urgent Fury: The Role of American Diplomacy in the U.S. Invasion of Grenada

Abstract

This article explores the role of American diplomacy during the Grenada crisis in October1983. Although the invasion is usually viewed as a military operation, American diplomatsspearheaded the decision. George Shultz, Secretary of State at the time, argued in his memoirthat the entire Grenada operation was driven by the State Department. Following a coupon the island staged by an extreme Marxist group and subsequent murder of Prime MinsterBishop and some of his government members, a shoot-on-site curfew was declared and thesituation was becoming chaotic; endangering hundreds of American medical students in Grenada.The U.S. request to facilitate the students’ evacuation was not met by the Grenadianauthorities. The Organization of East Caribbean States members, fearing that the Grenadianscenario could affect their countries, formally requested the United States to intervene militarily.In response, President Reagan authorized military intervention. The American diplomatswere assigned a role of civilian control on the island during and after the invasion and facilitatedthe peaceful evacuation of the American students. The U.S. military left the island shortlythereafter, and the Governor General appointed the Provisional Government. In one year theGrenadians held the Parliamentary elections and elected a new government