770 Chapter 6
Referring to the Soviet Union, the United States stated that this would balance
the military presence in the Far East. Honshu is approximately 350 miles east of the
Soviet coastline. The Soviets protested this move as “hostile and provocative.” On
January 23, 1983, President Reagan and Japanese Prime Minister Nakasone met, and
Nakasone pledged to increase military spending in order to share defensive responsi-
bilities, and to begin a five-year plan to strengthen surveillance around Japan against
Soviet planes and ships. This much more active defensive stance against the Soviet
Union caused a harsh Soviet warning that “Japan could face a retaliatory strike more
devastating than the nuclear attacks by the United States in 1945.” Despite the intimi-
dating threat from the Soviet Union, Nakasone gave a policy speech the next day that
aligned Japan with United States interests and also protested the military buildup and
called for negotiation on the return of the islands to Japan.
MID#2728
Dispute Number: 2728
Date(s): November 12, 1984 to November 23, 1984
Participants: 365 Russia/740 Japan
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Soviet planes violated Japanese airspace twice in November 1984. Japa-
nese planes were scrambled, and the government formally protested both violations.
365 RUSSIA/770 PAKISTAN
MID#253
Started in April 1960. See the narrative in the 2 United States of America/365 Russia dyad
dispute list.
MID#2053
Started in March 1979. See the narrative in the 700 Afghanistan/770 Pakistan dyad dispute
list.
MID#2054
Started in September 1983. See the narrative in the 700 Afghanistan/770 Pakistan dyad
dispute list.
365 RUSSIA/800 THAILAND
MID#1353
Started in January 1962. See the narrative in the 812 Laos/816 Vietnam dyad dispute
list.