"Margaret Thatcher biggest successes were in foreign policy" Assess the validity of this view.

Thatcher's premiership saw a mixture of successes and failures, but without a doubt her greatest successes were in foreign policy. The Falklands War in 1982 was Thatcher's first major test as Prime Minister, but her resounding confidence and appeal to British patriotism meant that, not only did the war meet with widespread approval back home, she was able to capitalize upon the victory as being very much her victory. To many Britons, this was hugely significant because it seemed to end decades of Britain being embarrassed internationally, dating back to the Suez Crisis of 1956, and seemed to spell the beginning of a new rise in British strength and status. This new confidence was continued throughout further chapters in Thatcher's foreign policy. She resolutely condemned Communism and stool stalwart as a bulwark against the Soviet Empire, actively supporting Reagan in his anti-Communist rhetoric and also meeting with Gorbachev in 1984 to demonstrate a willingness to accept Soviet attempts at reform. This not only gave Thatcher celebrity status as the 'Iron Lady' standing up to Communism, but also helped to strengthen the Special Relationship with America which had come under strain during the Vietnam War in the early 70s. Finally, with regard to Europe, her 'handbag diplomacy' and refusal to take no for an answer saw Britain gain the rebate in 1985, which greatly reduced Britain's fees to the EEC and helped unify her party against Euro-sceptic opinion temporarily. Thatcher did suffer some international embarrassments. Reagan's decision to invade the British protectorate of Grenada in 1982 without Thatcher's approval demonstrated that Britain was very much the secondary partner in the Special Relationship, whilst her 'no nonsense' policy in Europe increased tensions with European allies and made negotiations for future Prime Ministers far more difficult. Nonetheless, overall, Thatcher was able to champion a new age in British foreign policy marked by confidence and success in her international endeavors, without a doubt her greatest success as Prime Minister.