6 The return of Cold War (1979)

Question 1

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan year

Answer 1

1979

Question 2

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

Answer 2

1979 -> SU gov sent troops to Afghanistan to help unpopular pro-soviet gov to fight against anti-communist + pro-muslim rebels + intended to establish military base in Afghanistan-> within reach of major oilfields
US warned SU not to invade SU, feared
1. soviet expansion in Central Asia
2. pose a threat to oil-supplying states in Middle East -> threaten American interest
-> 1. called for boycot of Moscow
2. imposed ban on US grain sales to SU
3. rejected nuclear arms agreements laid down in Salt II

-» immense war casualties and costs -> withdraw in 1989

Question 3

why didn’t the US want SU invasion of Afghanistan

Answer 3

US warned SU not to invade SU, feared
1. soviet expansion in Central Asia
2. pose a threat to oil-supplying states in Middle East -> threaten American interest

Question 4

The return of cold war

Answer 4

1. soviet invasion of Afghanistan, 1979
2. the “star wars” plan

Question 5

star wars plan

Answer 5

end of detente -> 2 superpowers entered into another round in the nuclear arms race -> US and NATO concerned about development of new Soviet weapons
US president Reagan decided to increase national defence spending -> her and NATO allies invested in + set up new missile systems -> SU develop new missiles

arms race extends into space -> both carried out experiments on methods to destroy each other’s missiles from space
1983 -> introduced Strategic Defence Initiative SDI (Star wars) -> defence against possibility of Soviet Missile attack -> interrupt foreign missiles by using laser beams that would fire from satellites

worried SU -> began own research into Star Wars -> new dimension made any future arms limitation talks more difficult

Question 6

how did america react to soviet entrance to afghanistan

Answer 6

1. called for boycot of Moscow
2. imposed ban on US grain sales to SU
3. rejected nuclear arms agreements laid down in Salt II