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The island of Grenada had obtained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1974 under the leadership of Sir Eric Gairy. Things did not go smoothly for Gairyu and his term in office experienced civil strife. Gairy's United Labour Party claimed victory in the general election of 1976, but the opposition did not accept the result as legitimate. Street violence erupted between Gairy's private army, the Mongoose Gang, and gangs organized by the New Jewel Movement (NJM). In the late 1970s, the NJM began planning to overthrow the government. Party members began to receive military training outside of Grenada. On March 13, 1979 while Gairy was out of the country, the NJM – led by Maurice Bishop – launched an armed revolution and overthrew the government, establishing the People's Revolutionary Government.
Four and a half years later, on October 16, 1983, a party faction led by Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard seized power. Bishop was placed under house arrest. Mass protests against the action led to Bishop escaping detention and asserting his authority as the head of the government. Bishop was captured and murdered along with several of his loyal followers. The army, led by Hudson Austin, formed a military council to rule the country. The Governor-General, Paul Scoon, was placed under house arrest. The army announced a four-day total curfew where anyone seen on the streets would be subject to summary execution.
The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), as well as the nations of Barbados and Jamaica, appealed to the United States for assistance. U.S. officials cited the murder of Bishop and general political instability in a country near U.S. borders, as well as the presence of U.S. medical students at St. George's University, as reasons for military action. Governor-General Scoon had also requested the invasion through secret diplomatic channels. On 25 October, Grenada was invaded by the combined forces of the United States and the Regional Security System (RSS) based in Barbados, in an operation code named Operation Urgent Fury.
The invasion was highly criticized by the governments in Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom. The United Nations General Assembly condemned it as "a flagrant violation of international law" by a vote of 108 in favour to 9, with 27 abstentions. The United Nations Security Council considered a similar resolution, which failed to pass when vetoed by the United States.
The U.S. government accused Grenada of constructing facilities to aid a Soviet-Cuban military build-up in the Caribbean. The accusation was based on a 9,000 ft long runway, which allegedly was built to accommodate large Soviet aircraft. Bishop’s government claimed that the airport was built to accommodate commercial aircraft carrying tourists.
In 1983, United States House of Representatives member Ron Dellums, a Democrat from California, traveled to Grenada on a fact-finding mission, having been invited by the country's prime minister. Dellums told Congress that in his opinion, the runway was built for the purpose of economic development and not for military use.
In March 1983, President Ronald Reagan began issuing warnings about the threat posed to the United States and the Caribbean by the "Soviet-Cuban militarization" of the Caribbean as evidenced by the excessively long airplane runway being built, as well as intelligence sources indicating increased Soviet interest in the island. Reagan said that the 9,000 foot runway and the numerous fuel storage tanks were unnecessary for commercial flights, and that the evidence pointed that the airport was to become a Cuban-Soviet forward military airbase.
The invasion began at 05:00 on October 25, 1983. American forces refuelled and departed from the Grantley Adams International Airport on the nearby Caribbean island of Barbados before daybreak en route to Grenada. Vice Admiral Joseph Metcalf, III, Commander Second Fleet, was the overall commander of U.S. forces, which included elements of each military service and multiple special operations units. Fighting continued for several days and the total number of U.S. troops reached 7,000. The invading forces encountered about 1,500 Grenadian soldiers and about 700 Cubans. Controversy exists as to whether or not the Cubans were military personnel. Journalist Bob Woodward, in his book "Veil", claims that the captured "military advisers" were actually accredited diplomats and included their dependents. Author Robert Leckie in his 1998 book "The Wars of America" claims that some of the construction workers were actually a detachment of Cuban Military Special Forces and combat engineers.
Some of the defenders put up strong resistance, requiring the U.S. to call in two battalions of reinforcements on the evening of October 26th. The coalition forces, superior in number and equipment, were able to overwhelmed the local forces. U.S. Forces sustained 19 killed and 116 wounded. Cuban forces sustained 25 killed, 59 wounded and 638 captured. Grenadian casualties were 45 killed and 358 wounded. At least 24 civilians were killed, 18 of whom were killed in the accidental bombing of a Grenadian mental hospital.
A congressional study group later concluded that the invasion had been justified, as most members felt that U.S. students at the university near a contested runway could have been taken hostage in the same manner as U.S. diplomats in Iran had been four years previously. Following the group's report, House Speaker Tip O'Neill changed his position on the invasion from one of opposition to one of support. Support from congress was not universal however. The Congressional Black Caucus denounced the invasion and seven Democratic congressmen, led by Ted Weiss, introduced an unsuccessful resolution to impeach Reagan. On October 25, 1983, on the TV newscast Nightline, anchor Ted Koppel spoke by phone with medical students on Grenada who stated that they were safe and did not feel their lives were in danger. But the next evening, again by telephone, medical students told Koppel how grateful they were for the invasion and the Army Rangers, which probably saved their lives.
By a vote of 108 in favour to 9, the United Nations General Assembly adopted General Assembly Resolution 38/7 which "deeply deplores the armed intervention in Grenada, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of that State". A similar resolution was discussed in the United Nations Security Council and although receiving widespread support it was ultimately vetoed by the United States. President Reagan, when asked if he was concerned by the lopsided 108–9 vote in the UN General Assembly said "it didn't upset my breakfast at all."
Following the invasion, Grenada requested help from members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The invasion was condemned by the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, and Canada, among others. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher personally opposed the U.S. invasion. On October 25, she sent the following message to Reagan:
This action will be seen as intervention by a Western country in the internal affairs of a small independent nation, however unattractive its regime. I ask you to consider this in the context of our wider East/West relations and of the fact that we will be having in the next few days to present to our Parliament and people the siting of Cruise missiles in this country. I must ask you to think most carefully about these points. I cannot conceal that I am deeply disturbed by your latest communication. You asked for my advice. I have set it out and hope that even at this late stage you will take it into account before events are irrevocable.
Thatcher telephoned Reagan twenty minutes after sending the message. In the call, Reagan assured Thatcher that an invasion was not contemplated. Reagan later said, "She was very adamant and continued to insist that we cancel our landings on Grenada. I couldn't tell her that it had already begun."
Following the U.S. victory, Scoon assumed power as interim head of government. He formed an advisory council which named Nicholas Brathwaite as interim prime minister pending new elections. Democratic elections held in December 1984 were won by the Grenada National Party and a government was formed led by Prime Minister Herbert Blaize. U.S. forces remained in Grenada after combat operations finished in December and performed security missions and assisted members of the Caribbean Peacekeeping Force and the Royal Grenadian Police Force.
A heavily fictionalized account of the invasion is depicted in the 1986 Clint Eastwood motion picture Heartbreak Ridge.