22. The summits between the USA and USSR

Question 1

explain star wars (SDI)?

Answer 1

• reagan sought to eliminate threats posed by advances in soviet tech
• he wanted to develop a defensive shield against ICBM’s = SDI, hopefully giving the soviets an incentive to to reduce stockpile of ICBM’s
• it was an anti nuclear defensive that could destroy nuclear weapons from space before they hit their targets
• cost the US $26 billion in 5 years

Question 2

explain the differing views on SDI?

Answer 2

• soviets: feared it would destabilise the ‘balance of terror’ between superpowers, this fuelled soviets to continue their expansion of nuclear weapons to compete with the west
• fear that USA and USSR would extend war into space -source of tension between Reagan and Gorbachev in 1985-88
• opposition internally within the US because it was seen as a dangerous escalation of nuclear weapons
• never happened tho due to technical problems and end of cold war

Question 3

what did the SDI programme expose for NATO?

Answer 3

• the different views within NATO
• Margaret thatcher was skeptical about if the SDI would be feasible
• west german chancellor, supported the programme
• french president wanted a general agreement on space

Question 4

explain the Geneva summit?

Answer 4

• 1985
• key discussions:
  
  • reducing nuclear weapons by 50%
  • banning chemical weapons
  • ending giving nuclear weapons to other countries
• outcomes:
  
  • no concrete outcomes
  • improved relations between leaders
• issues:
  
  • SDI altered balance of MAD complicating agreements

Question 5

explain the Reykajavik summit?

Answer 5

• October, 1986
• key discussions:
  
  • eliminating all nuclear weapons within 10 years
  • restricting soviet missile bases to Asia and US bases to USA
• outcomes:
  
  • few concrete outcomes
• issues:
  
  • Gorbachev wouldn’t discuss eliminating all nuclear weapons unless Reagan abandoned SDI plan
  • previous comments about USSR being ‘evil empire’ tainted relations

Question 6

explain the Washington Summit?

Answer 6

• December, 1987
• key discussions:
  
  • focused on the INF treaty
  • proposed to end use of ICBM’s + be destroyed
• outcomes:
  
  • INF treaty was signed= first time USSR and USA had agreed to remove a whole class of weapons
  • Gorbachev withdrew from Afghan= may 1989 all soviet troops had been withdrawn
  • success, showed cold war ending
• issues:
  
  • SDI was still a problem but G made no demands that the treaty be conditional

Question 7

explain the Moscow summit?

Answer 7

• May-June, 1988
• key discussions:
  
  • intended to focus on START to limit number of nuclear weapons on each side to 5000, instead focused on human rights
• outcomes:
  
  • human rights agreements signed
  • Reagan interacted with soviet citizens+ increase in G’s popularity in USSR
• issues:
  
  • SDI still seen as aggressive by G
  • difficult negotiations about inspections on weapons being put out of use

Question 8

what does START stand for?

Answer 8

-strategic arms reduction strategy

Question 9

which summit is the best and why?

Answer 9

• washington
• best outcomes
• showed commitment to peace and ending of the cold war

Question 10

explain the problem Bush faced in 1991?

Answer 10

• reagan replaced by George Bush in Jan 1989 due to term coming to an end
• in 1991 USA and USSR had to renegotiate numbers of weapons to be destroyed
• US advisors skeptical of US-Soviet relations= some said G would be replaced by ‘old style’ leader others G wanted to rebuild USSR to power
• BUT…Bush did not want to undermine G’s position and didn’t think USR wanted to plan a new cold war, and was committed to stable friendly USSR

Question 11

explain the US response to 1991?

Answer 11

• visited Hungary and Poland in July 1989 to support shift to democracy
• signed START treaty in 1991, came into force in 1994

Question 12

what were the importance of all the summits?

Answer 12

• building relations between G and Reagan + developing concrete agreements
• SDI was a main issue in all summits