George W. Bush is a Republican, 43rd President of the United States. He was twice elected to this post for the first time in 2001. His presidency ended in 2009. 8 years of his reign marked the beginning of the US war against terrorism in the world (resulting in 2 large-scale military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan), the introduction of the famous phrase “axis of evil”, a large-scale reduction in the tax burden for Americans, a mortgage crisis, which entailed a global liquidity crisis, in addition, unsurpassed statements, popularly received the names of "bushisms."
Childhood
George Walker Bush was born in New Haven on July 6, 1946 in the family of George Herbert Walker and Barbara Bush. Father at that time was a student at Yale University, later he was the director of the CIA, as well as the 41st president of the United States. The boy’s childhood passed in Texas, in the cities of Houston and Midland.
Training
George W. Bush, at fifteen, was assigned to a boarding school for boys (Phillips Academy), located in Massachusetts; after graduating from it, he followed in the footsteps of his father, enrolling at Yale. There he studied mediocre, but in 1968 he still received a bachelor's degree.
Career
After completing his studies, George W. Bush joined the Texas National Guard. There, until 1973, he served as an air force pilot. The next 2 years went to study at Harvard Business School, where he graduated with a master's degree in business administration. Then he returned again to Midland, after which he went into business. At the same time, unlike his father, he did not succeed in the oil business: he brought his already small business almost to bankruptcy. Here, quite serious problems with alcohol had a certain influence - they accompanied George W. Bush until his fortieth birthday.
1986 year
The future president’s life changed dramatically in 1986. Then he put an end to his alcohol addiction, after which his affairs slowly went uphill (Bush admits that his life before the age of 40 lacked focus). Then he managed to agree on the merger of his company with another, larger, on favorable terms for him. Together with partners in 1989, he acquired Texas Rangers (a baseball club). Investments in this purchase in the amount of $ 600 thousand of borrowed funds brought him $ 15 million a few years later.
Texas Governor
Soon, George W. Bush was also able to succeed in the political field: in 1994 he was elected governor of Texas, and after 4 years he was re-elected to the same post. George W. Bush in 1999 announced his desire to run for president. A year later, he won a very controversial election, which was accompanied by lengthy legal proceedings, as well as a scandalous recount of the votes received.
President of the U.S.A
The initial program of the new president was focused on US domestic policy, including large-scale education reform and tax cuts. The focus of his presidential administration’s efforts shifted sharply after 2001, when the most bloody terrorist act in world history occurred on September 11. President George W. Bush then declared war on terror. After that, in 2001, an operation was carried out in Afghanistan, culminating in the overthrow of the Taliban regime. It is worth noting that the foreign policy of George W. Bush was then carried out on the basis of the "Bush Doctrine", which implies unilateral actions without the approval of the international community and delivering preemptive strikes against the enemy. Bush’s anti-terrorism policies also developed within the country itself, after which the powers of law enforcement agencies and special services were significantly expanded.
Domestic policy of George W. Bush
Bush in the country's domestic politics advocated reducing interference with the executive branch. The moment that the president was very poorly versed in the international situation all the time became an object of ridicule, did not interfere with his popularity and even served as a basis for comparing him with Ronald Reagan. The president’s domestic political program was very attractive to different groups of voters. In addition to reducing the tax burden, he also put forward a number of initiatives in the field of education and pensions, which were considered the "horse" of the Democrats.
Invasion of Iraq
In 2003, US troops entered Iraq, which, according to George W. Bush, together with Iran and the DPRK was included in the "axis of evil." It is worth noting that the basis for the attack was information that the regime of S. Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. But as a result, this was not confirmed. In May 2003, the combat phase of the operation was completed, but decisive successes were not achieved in the post-war settlement.
Among the significant elements of Bush’s policy, one can also say about multilateral consultations on China’s nuclear program, as well as participation in the settlement of the conflict in Israel. Bush was able to establish friendly relations with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, but this did not lead to the resolution of the contradictions that exist between Russia and the United States.
Second term of presidency
George W. Bush, whose policies were constantly criticized abroad and domestically, was re-elected in 2004 for a second term, then defeating John Kerry, a Democratic senator. During the second Bush administration, the country's main policies have not changed significantly. He continued to fight terrorism in the country, as well as a policy to reduce taxes. The president in the foreign policy direction tried to overcome the disagreements that had arisen with his European allies, which arose due to US actions in Iraq. In 2005, Bush in Moscow attended the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Victory. By the end of 2005, observers noted a significant decrease in his level of popularity among Americans, which was mainly due to his policy on Iraq.
Lebanese-Israeli conflict
The Lebanese-Israeli conflict in 2006 was another cause of disagreement with the European allies: the US supported Israel by not joining the ceasefire. George W. Bush, President of the United States, viewed the standoff between Hezbollah and Israel as part of the war on terrorism.
In 2006, the Republican Party lost in the midterm elections, after which the Democrats took control of the two houses of Congress. Bush, obeying their pressure, was forced to dismiss the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld, the most unpopular minister. Most observers expected changes in the Iraqi strategy, including the withdrawal of troops, but in 2007 the president announced the sending of new forces there.
Relations with Russia
It should be noted that 2007 was marked by an increase in tension in relations between Russia and the United States: the leadership of our country, headed by V.V. Putin criticized the American foreign policy, including regarding the possibility of deploying a missile defense system on the territory of Eastern European countries.
During the period of hostilities in South Ossetia, Bush condemned Russian actions, calling the Russian military intervention "disproportionate" use of force, in addition, he threatened our country with international isolation, as well as exclusion from the so-called G8. At the same time, Bush considered the news of recognition of independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia irresponsible, condemned the Russian side and urged her to reconsider this decision.
Bush in 2008 supported John McCain in the presidential election. But McCain lost to Barack Obama, a Democratic candidate.
George W. Bush, whose biography is described in this article, officially resigned as president on January 20, 2009, when the 44th, new US president in Washington was sworn in during the inauguration.
