15 - Cooperation Flashcards
What was the opinion of the leaders of the US + USSR regarding the Arms Race before the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?
Khrushchev:
- Personally endorsed peaceful coexistence
- Outwardly demonstrated a strong anti-Western stance to maintain Soviet dominance in the communist world (Mao criticised weakness)
Kennedy:
- Personally endorsed conciliation
- Outwardly demonstrated a strong anti-communist stance to maintain power over his opposition (criticised for being too ‘soft’)
What was the main deterrent of nuclear war before the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?
MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)
Superpowers developed + stockpiled nuclear weapons to reach nuclear equity - neither power could start a war, as knew the others could retaliate equally, leaving both superpowers destroyed.
How did MAD act as a deterrent to nuclear war?
Superpowers developed + stockpiled nuclear weapons to reach nuclear equity - neither power could start a war, as knew the others could retaliate equally, leaving both superpowers destroyed
Was there any movement towards superpower cooperation before the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Yes
E.g. Eighteen Nation Disarmament Committee (ENDC) formed in 1962. Encouraged arm control measures. Both superpowers members.
What was the turning point event that increased cooperation between US + USSR?
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
How did the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) encourage increased cooperation between US + USSR?
Leaders agreed that nuclear war was undesirable + they should engage in some cooperation to avoid it
What type of cooperation between the US + USSR are we looking at?
Slowing the Arms Race to prevent risk of nuclear war (1960s-70s)
How did the opinion of the leaders of the US + USSR regarding the Arms Race change after the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?
Both leaders were able to align their own views closer with foreign policy - becoming open to discussing nuclear weapon reductions/Arms Race slowing
Did the US + USSR stop the Arms Race/build up of nuclear weapons immediately after the Cuban Missile Crisis?
No - continued stockpiling until the Nuclear-Non Proliferation Treaty
What were the 4 key cooperation agreements between the US+USSR that worked towards slowing the Arms Race?
1) Washington-Moscow Hotline (June 1963)
2) Moscow Test Ban Treaty (Aug 1963)
3) Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (July 1968)
4) Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (1969)
What were the 3 main reasons why the US + USSR wanted to cooperate + slow the Arms Race?
- Leaders + public feared consequences of nuclear war
- Arms Race was expensive (diverting money from domestic issues + other expensive campaigns, e.g. Vietnam for US)
- Other countries becoming nuclear powers could be dangerous
When was the Washington-Moscow Hot Line installed?
June 1963
What was the Washington-Moscow Hotline (1963)?
Direct communication line between the leaders of the US + USSR
Was the Washington-Moscow Hotline (1963) effective in helping cooperation?
Partially
NO: Not used by Khrushchev + Kennedy
YES: Was later used by Johnson - during the Six-Day War (1967)
Symbolised a new spirit of cooperation
Does the Washington-Moscow Hotline still exist?
Yes
When was the Moscow Test Ban Treaty initially proposed + signed?
Initially proposed: 1950s
Signed: Aug 1963
Why did the Moscow Test Ban Treaty take so long to negotiate?
The leader of the US+USSR + their people had remained cautious about cooperation - wasn’t until after the Cuban Missile Crisis that cooperation accelerated
Who signed the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?
US, USSR, UK
What was the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?
Ban on testing nuclear weapons: above ground, in atmosphere, in space, underwater
What was crucial in getting US acceptance of the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?
Kennedy’s speech at US uni in Aug 1963 that outlined mutual needs of US + USSR to cooperate + halt the Arms Race
What was crucial in getting USSR acceptance of the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?
Treaty signed in Moscow - cautious Soviets believed they were still in a position of strength
What were the achievement of the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?
- First collective agreement to place limitations on the Arms Race (able to kick-start cooperation)
- Reduced changes of a detrimental nuclear war between superpowers
What were the issues with the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?
- Didn’t ban underground testing
- Wasn’t signed by some key nuclear powers (China + France) who continued above ground testing into the 1990s
- US + USSR did continue to stockpile weapons
When was the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
July 1968
What was the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
Agreement that signatories wouldn’t provide non-nuclear states with nuclear tech or encourage them to develop their own
Hoped to limit the spread of nuclear weapons to non-nuclear states
Who signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
Most countries in UN
France + China didn’t for political reasons but agreed to keep to terms
After the Moscow Test Ban Treaty (1963) what nuclear weapons did the US continue to develop?
- Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)
- Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs)
By the end of the 1960s who was winning the Arms Race between the US + USSR?
Had been the US, but USSR now fairly even
Development of what tech allowed the USSR to become fairly equal to the US by 1970 in the Arms Race?
Anti-Ballistic Missiles (ABMS)
Intercept nuclear weapons, preventing them from detonating at target location
What nuclear weapons did the US develop in response to the USSR development of ABMs?
Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs)
One rocket that deployed multiple warheads to multiple targets, so can’t be stopped by ABMs
Why did the US + USSR choose to slow the Arms Race through treaties/agreements rather than MAD?
MAD was becoming a less effective deterrent against nuclear build up.
E.g. Because of development of ABMs
When did PRC become a nuclear power?
1964
What country were the US + USSR most worried about as a nuclear power?
China
Name 3 countries who weren’t as interested in slowing the Arms Race + preventing nuclear proliferation?
- China: e.g. didn’t sign Moscow Test Ban Treaty (1963)
- France: e.g. didn’t sign Moscow Test Ban Treaty (1963)
- India: e.g. detonated a nuclear explosion in 1974
When was there a pause in cooperating towards slowing nuclear build up? Why?
Mid 1968-1969
- Johnson decided not to rerun for President (replaced with Nixon)
- USSR preoccupied by Prague Spring + intervening in CZ
Under which leaders did cooperation pick up again in 1969 with the SALT?
Nixon + Brezhnev
