15 - Cooperation

Question 1

What was the opinion of the leaders of the US + USSR regarding the Arms Race before the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?

Answer 1

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’)

Question 2

What was the main deterrent of nuclear war before the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

How did MAD act as a deterrent to nuclear war?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Was there any movement towards superpower cooperation before the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 4

Yes
E.g. Eighteen Nation Disarmament Committee (ENDC) formed in 1962. Encouraged arm control measures. Both superpowers members.

Question 5

What was the turning point event that increased cooperation between US + USSR?

Answer 5

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Question 6

How did the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) encourage increased cooperation between US + USSR?

Answer 6

Leaders agreed that nuclear war was undesirable + they should engage in some cooperation to avoid it

Question 7

What type of cooperation between the US + USSR are we looking at?

Answer 7

Slowing the Arms Race to prevent risk of nuclear war (1960s-70s)

Question 8

How did the opinion of the leaders of the US + USSR regarding the Arms Race change after the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?

Answer 8

Both leaders were able to align their own views closer with foreign policy - becoming open to discussing nuclear weapon reductions/Arms Race slowing

Question 9

Did the US + USSR stop the Arms Race/build up of nuclear weapons immediately after the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 9

No - continued stockpiling until the Nuclear-Non Proliferation Treaty

Question 10

What were the 4 key cooperation agreements between the US+USSR that worked towards slowing the Arms Race?

Answer 10

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)

Question 11

What were the 3 main reasons why the US + USSR wanted to cooperate + slow the Arms Race?

Answer 11

• 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

Question 12

When was the Washington-Moscow Hot Line installed?

Answer 12

June 1963

Question 13

What was the Washington-Moscow Hotline (1963)?

Answer 13

Direct communication line between the leaders of the US + USSR

Question 14

Was the Washington-Moscow Hotline (1963) effective in helping cooperation?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Does the Washington-Moscow Hotline still exist?

Answer 15

Yes

Question 16

When was the Moscow Test Ban Treaty initially proposed + signed?

Answer 16

Initially proposed: 1950s

Signed: Aug 1963

Question 17

Why did the Moscow Test Ban Treaty take so long to negotiate?

Answer 17

The leader of the US+USSR + their people had remained cautious about cooperation - wasn’t until after the Cuban Missile Crisis that cooperation accelerated

Question 18

Who signed the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?

Answer 18

US, USSR, UK

Question 19

What was the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?

Answer 19

Ban on testing nuclear weapons: above ground, in atmosphere, in space, underwater

Question 20

What was crucial in getting US acceptance of the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?

Answer 20

Kennedy’s speech at US uni in Aug 1963 that outlined mutual needs of US + USSR to cooperate + halt the Arms Race

Question 21

What was crucial in getting USSR acceptance of the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?

Answer 21

Treaty signed in Moscow - cautious Soviets believed they were still in a position of strength

Question 22

What were the achievement of the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?

Answer 22

• First collective agreement to place limitations on the Arms Race (able to kick-start cooperation)
• Reduced changes of a detrimental nuclear war between superpowers

Question 23

What were the issues with the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?

Answer 23

• 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

Question 24

When was the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?

Answer 24

July 1968

Question 25

What was the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Who signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?

Answer 26

Most countries in UN

France + China didn’t for political reasons but agreed to keep to terms

Question 27

After the Moscow Test Ban Treaty (1963) what nuclear weapons did the US continue to develop?

Answer 27

• Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)

- Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs)

Question 28

By the end of the 1960s who was winning the Arms Race between the US + USSR?

Answer 28

Had been the US, but USSR now fairly even

Question 29

Development of what tech allowed the USSR to become fairly equal to the US by 1970 in the Arms Race?

Answer 29

Anti-Ballistic Missiles (ABMS)

Intercept nuclear weapons, preventing them from detonating at target location

Question 30

What nuclear weapons did the US develop in response to the USSR development of ABMs?

Answer 30

Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs)

One rocket that deployed multiple warheads to multiple targets, so can’t be stopped by ABMs

Question 31

Why did the US + USSR choose to slow the Arms Race through treaties/agreements rather than MAD?

Answer 31

MAD was becoming a less effective deterrent against nuclear build up.

E.g. Because of development of ABMs

Question 32

When did PRC become a nuclear power?

Answer 32

1964

Question 33

What country were the US + USSR most worried about as a nuclear power?

Answer 33

China

Question 34

Name 3 countries who weren’t as interested in slowing the Arms Race + preventing nuclear proliferation?

Answer 34

• 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

Question 35

When was there a pause in cooperating towards slowing nuclear build up? Why?

Answer 35

Mid 1968-1969

• Johnson decided not to rerun for President (replaced with Nixon)
• USSR preoccupied by Prague Spring + intervening in CZ

Question 36

Under which leaders did cooperation pick up again in 1969 with the SALT?

Answer 36

Nixon + Brezhnev