3 - End Of The Cold War 1970-91 Flashcards
What does détente mean
A French word that refers to a reduction in tensions between superpowers
Reasons for Détente
- fear of nuclear war due to Cuban missile crisis
Early examples of detente
- hotline between Washington + Kremlin
- test ban treaty - 1963
When was the six day war
1967
What was the six day war
Israeli vs other Arab states
Consequences of the six day war
- Arab states more closely drawn it Soviet Union because USA had supplied so much military hardware to Israel
Why did USA get involved in the Vietnam war
- to try + stop the spread communism
USAs involvement in Vietnam war
- sent military advisors to south Vietnam in 1950s
- sent troops in 1965
Consequences of the Vietnam war
- USA couldn’t defeat north Vietnamese + the Viet Cong
- High US casualties - up to 10,000 killed a year
1969 - 9400 killed + 53,000 injured + 112 missing in action
When did Nixon become president
1969
When did the US begin seeking an end to the war
1968
- peace talks began spring of 1968
Why were the US hopeful there would be an end to the Vietnamese war
- after Nixon became president - hoped that if USA could improve trade + Technology links + made an offer of arms reduction - then Brezhnev might persuade his north Vietnamese ally to end war
- idea of concessions called ‘linkage’ by Nixon’s advisors
When did Nixon visit Moscow
1972
What did Nixon clarify in Moscow
That he did not see Vietnam as an obstacle to the process of detente , even though Soviet Union was supplying arms to north Vietnam
Why did Brezhnev want to improve relations with Nixon
- Nixon visited china three months before - didn’t want to see a US- China Alliance
- keen to gain access to US technology
- increase grain sales
- reduce spending on arms
Why did Nixon want to improve relations with Brezhnev
- help end Vietnamese war
+ High cost and casualties
What was agreed at the Moscow meeting - 1972
- Nixon agreed to take part in European security conference from which emerged the Helsinki agreements
When was peace signed between US and north Vietnam
1973
When was SALT 1
May 1972
What does SALT stand for
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
Why were SALT talks held
- previous talks at Vienna +Helsinki for three years
- move to detente + idea of linkage + economic problems in Soviet Union
Agreements of SALT 1
- Anti - ballistic missile Systems allowed at only two sites - each containing 100 missiles
+ these were systems designed to detect, track and destroy attacking ICBMs - Interim agreement on Offensive Arms - imposed a 5 year freeze on total number of ICBM + SLBM
Limitations of SALT 1
- agreements did not limit number of strategic bombers eg. Planes designed to bomb distant enemy targets
- did not limit types of bombs each side could have
- no restriction on MIRVs (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle)
- each side could use satellites to check the other side was not breaking arms limits - spying
When was the Yom Kippur war
1973
EXAMPLES OF DÉTENTE IN ACTION
1 - Nixon visits Moscow - 1972 2 - SALT I - 1972 3 - Yom Kippur War - 1973 4 - Nixon visits Moscow - 1974 5 - Space link up - 1975 6 - Helsinki agreements - 1975 7 - SALT II - 1975
What was the Yom Kippur War
Syria and Egypt made surprise attacks on Israel
- Syria/ Egypt supplied by Soviet Union
- Israel supplied by USA
Brezhnevs plan - Yom Kippur War
- join US - Soviet Union force would be on hand to save the Egyptian army from Israelis
- If US refused - Soviet forces would go separately
Nixons response to brezhnevs plan - Yom Kippur War
- Nixon angry at Brezhnevs suggestion at independent action but didn’t want to accept the offer
- Nixon put all US forces, including nuclear strike groups, on alert
- NIXON PROPOSED an alternative - that UN peacekeeping force of non-nuclear countries intervene in the conflict
- Brezhnev accepted proposal and war ended
When did Yom Kippur war end
- ended with a ceasefire
- 24th October 1973
When did Nixon visit Moscow for the second time
July 1974
What was agreed at the second Moscow visit - 1974
- they would continue to remove the danger of war - Particularly nuclear war
- to limit + eventually end arms race - especially in strategic warheads = said their ultimate objective was complete disarmament, which would be monitored by appropriate international control
- they would contribute to the elimination of sources of tension + war
- to relax tensions throughout the world
- to develop broad, mutually beneficial co-operation in commercial, economic, scientific
technical and cultural fields - aim was to promote increased understanding and
confidence between the peoples of both countries.
Consequence of Moscow meeting
Space link up
Helsinki agreements
When was the space link up
17th July 1975
What was the space link up
- Apollo - Soyuz mission
- three US astronauts + two soviet astronauts met up in space as US Apollo aircraft docked with a soviet Soyuz one
- there was a symbolic handshake
When were the Helsinki agreements
1975
What was the Helsinki agreements
- USA and Soviet Union along with 33 other nations made declarations about three distinct international issues - known as baskets
- Security
- Cooperation
- Human rights
Helsinki agreement - security
- Recognition of Europe’s frontiers
- Soviet Union accepted the existence of West Germany
Helsinki agreement - Cooperation
There was a call for closer economic, scientific and cultural links - these would lead to even closer political agreement
Helsinki agreement - Human rights
Each signatory agreed to respect human rights and basic freedoms such as thought, speech, religion and freedom from unfair arrest
Consequences of Helsinki agreements
- following human rights Helsinki agreement - president carter sent a letter to the soviet dissident (Andrei Sakharov) - supporting his stand against soviet authorities
- carters actions seen as a big interference in soviet internal affairs + Brezhnev made this clear in a speech
What is a dissent
Someone who disagrees with the government
Consequences of carters actions
- various groups were set up in eastern Europe, known as the Helsinki Groups to monitor the Soviet Union’s adherence to the Agreements.
- They, along with President Carter and other human rights organisations, complained about Soviet violations of 975 Agreements.
+ violations = lack of free speech, religious restrictions and lack of freedom of movement. - The human rights issue was becoming an embarrassment for Brezhnev.
How did the Soviet Union go against the Helsinki agreements
Despite the Helsinki Agreements, the Soviet Union sent huge amounts of weapons to Angola and Ethiopia, and by 1980, 21 other
African states had received Soviet weapons.
When was SALT II
Began in 1974 and signed in June 1979
Terms of SALT II
- A limit of 2400 strategic nuclear delivery vehicle (ICBMs, SLBMs and heavy bombers) for each side.
- 1320 limit on MIRV systems for each side.
- A ban on construction of new land-based ICBM launchers.
- Limits on deployment of new types of strategic offensive arms.
- SALT Il to last until 1985.
When were SALT II agreements meant to last up to
1985
Why did ratification (agreement) of the SALT II treaty not take place
US Congress did not believe that the limits put forward in SALT Il could be verified, and there was renewed concern over the 2,000 Soviet troops stationed in Cuba.
How was detente endangered
In late 1979, NATO decided to place long-range missiles in Europe.
- Détente was under pressure, but its end came unexpectedly when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan on 25 December 1979.
- The US Senate refused to ratify SALT II and many said that a second Cold War was starting.
When was Gorbachev appointment as leader
March 1985
Russias economy in 1985
- not nearly efficient as American
- while Americans enjoyed excellent standard of living Russians faced shortages every day
- eg. Not uncommon for Moscow housewives to queue for 5 hours just to buy bread
Why was Gorbachev different
His ‘new thinking’
Why did Gorbachev come up with his ‘new thinking’
- Cold War was draining Russia’s wealth, couldn’t develop economically - fall of standard of living + faith in communism being lost
- Gorbachev wanted to address these problems by reforming the communist party + modernising soviet - style socialism
- introduced radical programme called new thinking
What was Gorbachevs ‘new thinking’
Three strategies -
- Initiating reforms in the Communist Party and Soviet system - perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness).
- Ending the arms race with the USA and signing various arms reduction agreements.
- Abandoning the Brezhnev Doctrine and stopping Soviet interference in eastern European satellite states like Poland, Czechoslovakia and other Warsaw Pact countries.
What was seen as the beginning of gorbachevs restructuring + economic acceleration
- APRIL 1985 - roamed around industrial district of Moscow + visited supermarkets + chatted with workers at a truck factory
- discussed computer training with teachers
- discussed nurses pay with staff at hospital
Gorbachevs other developments
- dissidents released from jail
- banned books were published + people learned of atrocities Stalin committed
Why was glasnost described as a ‘two - edged sword’
- more freedom people gained the more they wanted + more they criticised Gorbachev
Why was Russia’s economy damaged
- arms race
- Afghanistan invasion
- space race
What did perestroika bring about
- certain aspects of a free economy were introduced
- people can think more freely without fear of reprisal
- reforms of political system - eg. Elections for local government
Why were arms limitation talks renewed
After it became clear Gorbachev wanted to improve relations
When + where was the first summit meeting with Gorbachev + Reagan
November 1985 at Geneva
How long was the Geneva summit meeting
Lasted 2 days
What was different about the Geneva summit
They broke convention and met without their advisors
What happened at the Geneva summit
- reagan would not give up his commitment to SDI Defense System
- both spoke of the world being a ‘safer place’
- Geneva accord set out
What was the Geneva accord
Committed the two countries to -
- speed up arms talks
- work towards abolition of chemical weapons
- be more active on issues of human rights
When and where was the second summit between Gorbachev + Reagan
October 1986 in Reykjavik, Iceland
What happened at the Reykjavik summit meeting
- collapsed after the two leaders tentatively agreed to reductions in nuclear arsenals
- BUT became deadlocked again on the issue of restricting the US space-based missile defence programme + SDI).
- In a news conference after the Summit had collapsed, Gorbachev painted a bleak picture of US- Soviet relations leading up to the summit and said that the talks had broken down over the fundamental differences between the superpowers on the SDI and the ABM Treaty
- He said Reagan’s insistence on deploying SDI had ‘frustrated and scuttled’ the opportunity for an agreement.
Where + when was the third summit held
December 1987
What happened at the third summit
- breakthrough was achieved - Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
- Gorbachev refused to sign arms treaty with Reagan at Reykjavik- because Reagan refused to drop his plans for SDI
- Reagan still committed to SDI in 1987 but Gorbachev changed his mind
Why did Gorbachev change his mind about signing an arms treaty with Reagan
- was convinced that nuclear weapons would not guarantee Soviet security + too expensive.
- Reagan convinced Gorbachev that the USA did not
intend to invade the Soviet Union. - Gorbachev realised that the Soviet economy would never recover as long as it was spending so much money on nuclear weapons.
- also believed that disarmament would win him popularity in the West and that, would encourage trade deals between the Soviet Union and the West.
What was the intermediate-range nuclear forces treaty (INF) 1987
- treaty eliminated nuclear and conventional ground- launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (300 to 3,400 miles).
- By the treaty’s deadline, 1 June 1991, a total of 2,692 such weapons had been destroyed, 846 by the USA and 1,846 by the Soviet Union
- Also under the treaty, both nations were allowed to inspect each other’s military installations.
Consequences of the INF
By the treaty’s deadline, 1 June 1991, a total of 2,692 such weapons had been destroyed, 846 by the USA and 1,846 by the Soviet Union
Other treaties that lead to the end of the Cold War
- INF
- CFE - conventional armed forces in Europe - 1989
- START I - treaty for the reduction and limitation of strategic arms - 1991
When was the soviet invasion of Afghanistan
1979
Why were the USA worried about the soviet invasion of Afghanistan
- threaten India + Pakistan
- steeping stone to possible soviet control over majority of wests oil supply
When did PDPA - People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan - overthrow the government
27th April 1978
Who was secretary of the PDPA
Nur Muhammad Taraki
What did Taraki become after he overthrow the government
- became President of the Revolutionary Council + Prime Minister of the newly established Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
What was the PDPA rule like in first 18 months
- During First 18 months - PDPA imposed a communist-style reform programme.
- thousands of members of the traditional elite (the Muslim religious establishment and intellectuals) were imprisoned, tortured or murdered.
Who overthrow taraki
Hafizullah Amin - the Deputy Prime Minister,
When did amin overthrow taraki
September 1979
Why was there still instability in the country after amin took control
- anti-Muslim policies
How did people retaliate against amin
- Thousands of Afghan Muslims joined the mujahideen
- mujahideen was a guerrilla movement which proclaimed to be on a holy mission for Allah.
- wanted to overthrow the Amin
- declared a jihad - a holy war - on the supporters of Amin.
How did the soviets respond to the mujahideen
- increased soviet military assistance programme - began in 1978
- amins regime became dependent on soviet military equipment + advisors
Why did amin not want to become too dependent on the Soviet’s
- wanted to improve links with USA
Why did Brezhnev invade Afghanistan
- was concerned about the growing power and spread of Islamic fundamentalism
- wanted to show the 30 million Muslims in the Soviet Union that there would be no changes to the way the Soviet Union was run.
- The Soviet Union saw fundamentalism as a great threat to the Soviet system
When was the invasion of Afghanistan
Between 25 December 1979 and 1 January 1980
How many soviet troops were sent into Afghanistan
Between 25 December 1979 and 1 January 1980, more than 50,000 Soviet troops
How did Brezhnev justify this invasion
said
the Soviet Union was only complying with the 1978 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and
Good Neighbourliness that former President Taraki had signed.
When and why was amin replaced
On 27 December 1979, Amin was shot and replaced by Babrak Kamal
Response to Kamals rule
Many Afghan soldiers deserted to join the mujahideen + the Kamal government then required 85,000 Soviet soldiers to keep it in power.
Why did carter take a firm approach to the soviets over invasion of Afghanistan
Accused of being a weak leader after not being able to solve the hostage problem
What was carters hostage problem
- Carter already under pressure in November 1979 following seizure of US embassy staff as hostages in Iran by militant Islamic students
- They wanted their former leader, the Shah, to be returned from exile in the USA to stand trial for crimes against the people of Iran
What was carters firm approach
- The carter doctrine
- asked the Senate to delay passing the SALT II treaty
- The USA then cancelled all shipments of grain to the Soviet Union and US companies were forbidden to sell high technology there, such as computers and oil drilling equipment.
- It was also decided that assistance would be given to the guerrillas - mujahideen - who fought against the Soviet invaders.
What was the carter doctrine
It was a policy which stated that the USA would use military force if necessary to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf region
- also promised US military aid to all of the countries bordering Afghanistan.
How was carter able to carry out his promises in the the carter doctrine
- proposed the creation of a quick-strike military force that could intervene anywhere in the world at short notice - Rapid Deployment Force
- also called for a draft registration of 18-20-year-old men
- for Congress to allow the CIA to increase its intelligence gathering activities.
How did the USA respond to carters firm approach
The USA then cancelled all shipments of grain to the Soviet Union and US companies were forbidden to sell high technology there, such as computers and oil drilling equipment.
What was carters mist controversial decision after invasion
pressure the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to. boycott the Moscow Olympic Games (July-August 1980).
When were the Moscow olympics
1980
How did carter threaten the olympics
- threatened to withhold funding and remove tax benefits.
- USOC agreed, and 61 other countries followed the USA’s example.
What did those who boycotted the games do
held an alternative event called the ‘Liberty Bell Classic’
What happened at the actual Olympic
Soviet Union won 195 medals, including 80 golds.
How did the USA respond to Soviet Union in the Olympics
The American press ridiculed the official Olympic Games and nicknamed Misha Bear, Russia’s Olympic mascot, Gulag Bear
Consequence of carters actions
- didn’t cause Soviet troops to leave Afghanistan but
- ended detente
- relationships worsened
When did Reagan become president
1980
What was the main emphasises of Reagans policies
Fighting communism - wanted to be harsher then carter
What was Reagans change of policy called
The Second World War
Reagan was not intimidated by…
the arsenal that the Soviet Union had built-up
Reagans priorities
- placed less emphasis on human rights and was keen to increase US defence spending.
- wanted to raise the USA to the position it had held in world affairs after the WWII
- wanted to eradicate the humiliation of the loss of the Vietnam War + the hostage crisis in Iran + the increasing influence of the Soviet Union in both Africa and Central America.
How much was Reagans defence policy going to cost
-between 1981 and 1987 would cost more than a trition dollars.
What did Reagans defence policy include
- 100 MX missiles
- 100 B-1 long-range and supersonic bombers
- the construction of a new stealth bomber that would be invisible to radar
- the construction of six Trident nuclear submarines
- the strengthening of military communications systems
- the development of the neutron bomb - killed people but did little damage to property
Consequences of deployment of soviet SS29 missiles
the USA decided to place cruise missiles (which could not be detected by radar) in western Europe
- The result of this defence strategy was a worsening of superpower relations.
What was NUTS
Nuclear Utilization Target Selection
- involved directing weapons at the opponent’s warheads, rather than their cities, to destroy
their nuclear weapons capabilities.
How did Reagan think he could win a limited nuclear war
Using NUTS strategies
Why did tension begin to rise at NUTS
- up until that point they had accepted MAD - mutually assured destruction
Why did Reagan know he was approaching talks with Brezhnev at an advantaged position.
Economic problems that the Soviet Union was experiencing
When did Reagan propose the zero option
November 1981
What was the zero option and why was it controversial
to cancel deployment of new US intermediate-range missiles in Western Europe in return for Soviet dismantling of comparable forces (600 SS20 intermediate-range missiles).
Brezhnev rejected the offer.
When + how did Reagan insult the soviet u ion
In a speech to the British House of Commons on 8th June 1982
- called the Soviet Union an evil empire*
How did the soviets respond to Reagans insult
- later in the year - new leader Yuri andrapov
- called the US president ‘insane’ + a ‘liar’
- Moscow repeatedly accused President Reagan of Fanning the flames of war and compared him to Hitier
How did events in Poland make START talks more difficult
- USA decided to give secret assistance to the Polish workers’ trade union movement Solidarmosc (solidarity), which was banned and saw its leaders imprisoned in 1982.
- The USA criticised Brezhnev and the Polish government for their heavy-handed approach and reacted by banning all hi-tech trade with the Soviet Union.
- Relations grew worse when the Soviet delegation walked out of the START talks in 1983 and Reagan announced the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI).
When was SDI announced
23rd march 1983
What was SDI nicknamed
The Star Wars Programme
What was SDI
a plan for a ground- and space-based, laser-armed anti- ballistic missile system that, if deployed, would shield against missiles launched at the US, destroying them in the
process
Andropovs reaction to SDI
4 days later - he spoke out
- accused USA of preparing first strike against Soviet Union
How did the US congress respond to SDI
Voted in favour of funds for the development of SDI
Soviet response to SDI
- it meant that soviets had to spend even
more money on armaments in order to compete with the USA. - Soviet economy was already experiencing
problems and renewed arms spending might destroy it completely - part of Reagans plan - Soviet Union already lost space race
- behind on computer technology - American computer market boomed in 1980s
- soviet leaders highly suspicious of computers - might be used to undermine power of the communist party - eg. Anti-communist propaganda
What was the Sinatra doctrine
in 1989
- part of Gorbachevs ‘new thinking’
he accepted that members of the Warsaw Pact could make changes to their own countries without expecting outside interference.
What did gorbachevs new thinking mean
meant that ideology would play a much smaller role in Soviet foreign affairs.
-In practice, this meant that the Soviet Union would no longer favour trade with communist countries over trade with capitalist countries.
Why did Gorbachev introduce his new thinking
- strain on the economy for supporting forces in eastern Europe
How did Gorbachevs new thinking affect east effect Europe
- never intended to weaken communism
- wanted to strengthen it by reform
- once reform started in eastern Europe, he was
unable to contain it
Where did reform start first
Poland - 1989
A Non-communist government was elected
What was the key to changes in eastern Europe in 1989
was Hungary’s decision to open its border with Austria in May of that year.
This meant that there was now a hole
in the Iron Curtain.
This created a way for East Germans to move to West Germany.
Poland reforms
- Strikes throughout the country.
1989 - Free trade union = Solidarity - wins
elections.
Mazowiecki becomes first non-communist Prime Minister In eastern Europe.
Hungary reforms
1988 - Gorbachev accepts that Hungary can
become a multi-party state.
1989 - Hungary opens its border with Austria.
1990 - Democratic elections won by Democratic
Forum, an alliance of anti-communist
Romania reforms - The most brutal government in Eastern Europe
16 December 1989 - Secret police fire on demonstrators in Timisoara.
- 21 December 1989 - Huge crowd in Bucharest boos President Ceausescu, who flees but is captured later.
- 22-24 December 1989 Army joins rebellion and fights secret police. Hundreds are killed.
- 25 December 1989. Ceausescu and his wife are shot by a firing squad.
- 1990 - Democratic elections won by National Salvation Front, containing many ex communists.
East Germany reforms
October 1989 - Gorbachev tells East Germany that Soviet troops will not put down East German demonstrations.
23 October 1989 - 300000 people protest in Leipzig.
4 November 1989 - One million people protest in East Berlin.
9 November 1989 - Berlin Wall is opened.
3 October 1990 - Germany reunified into one country
When is Germany one country again
3rd October 1990
When did the Berlin Wall open
9th November 1989
How were east Germany slow to embrace perestroika + glasnost
government banned Soviet publications of the later 1980s because they believed they would undermine communism.
When + where was the largest demonstration in East Germans history
4th November 1989 - over one million people in East Berlin demanding democracy and free elections.
Consequence of announcement of Democratic elections in Hungary
there was a mass movement of East German citizens through Hungary to West Germany. As a result the East German government was forced to announce much greater freedom of travel for East German citizens.
Key decisions by east Germany
- forced to announce greater freedom of travel
- 9th November - announced opening of border crossings west Germany
Peoples reaction to opening of the Berlin Wall
- began to dismantle the wall
- Within a few days, over one million people per day had seized the chance to see relatives and experience life in the West.
When did the new Germany join NATO
1991
Why was Gorbachev admired by the west
For his willingness to reform and that his policies had encouraged the break up of Eastern Europe
What award was Gorbachev given
The Nobel peace Prize - 1990
Soviets reaction to Gorbachevs willingness to reform
- treated with suspicion and led to ever
increasing criticism. - Leading members of the Communist Party believed that perestroika and glasnost had weakened communism rather than reviving it.
What happened as a result of critics to Gorbachev
19th August 1991, a group of senior communist government officials - known as the ‘Gang of Eight’ - organised a coup which removed Gorbachev from power.
When did the gang of eight overthrow Gorbachev
19th august 1991
What did the new government decals - gang of 8
declared a state of emergency and removed the policies of perestroika and glasnost.
How long did the new government last
3 days
Why did the new government only last for 3 days
Boris Yeltsin - the Chair of the Russian Supreme Soviet
- Described the new government as illegal + called on the people of Moscow to resist this regime.
When was Gorbachev reinstated
21st august
Consequence of new government
- weakened Gorbachevs authority
What was Gorbachevs final attempt to save Soviet Union
the introduction of a new constitution, which would give the Soviet republics, such as Latvia and the Ukraine, much greater independence.
Why did these countries not accept the new constitution
Wanted full independence
- many nationalities and ethnic groups saw how the satellite states in eastern Europe had been able to break away from Moscow and wanted to do the same.
When did the Baltic states of Estonia + Latvia + Lithuania declare themselves as independent
In 1990
Accepted by Moscow in 1991
What did the Baltic states independence cause
led to other demands for independence within the Soviet Union + Gorbachev found that he was opposed by most sections of Soviet society.
When did Gorbachev officially announce the dissolution of the Soviet Union + his resignation
on 25 December 1991 and the Soviet Union split into several independent states
When was Warsaw Pact formally ended
July 1991
When did Warsaw Pact military cooperation stop
Early 1990
Why did the Warsaw Pact end
- soviet control losing power
- rejection of communism by satellite states
- soviet had too weak of an economy to support it
When was the Malta summit
1989
What was declared at the Malta summit
End of the Cold War
