George H. W. Bush's tenure as the 41st president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 1989, and ended on January 20, 1993. Bush, a Republican from Texas and the incumbent vice president for two terms under President Ronald Reagan, took office after defeating the Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential election. His presidency ended following his re-election defeat to the Democratic nominee Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election. Bush was the father of the 43rd president, George W. Bush.
International affairs drove the Bush presidency, which navigated the end of the Cold War and a new era of U.S.–Soviet relations.