Attitudes following CMC

Question 1

What were the attitudes of Khrushchev and JFK following CMC?

Answer 1

• While Khrushchev was interested in concept of peaceful coexistence, he had to show a strong anti-Western position to maintain dominance over China and Communist world.
• After Cuban Missile crisis – both were interested in engagement and discussions.

Question 2

Who was General Leon Johnson and what he the director of?

Answer 2

• He was the director of the National Security Council’s Net evaluation Subcommittee
• Committee was a top secret part of NSC which prepared annual reports to consider impact that nuclear war would have

Question 3

What was the estimation of the report given to JFK in Summer 1963?

Answer 3

• Estimated that in the event of nuclear war in 1963 or 1964, the two counties would have a combined 93 million casualties.
• Acknowledged USSR also aware of consequenced

Question 4

What was MAD?

Answer 4

This in itself was a deterrent to use them and a reason to maintain a large stockpile of these weapons
- Understanding that the use of weapons would be mutually destructive for each power

Question 5

Who in 1963 had weapons and JFK opinion/action to this?

Answer 5

USA, USSR, UK and France
- JFK began negotiations with other nuclear powers with hope of preventing their further use
- Wanted these powers to remain the only ones with nuclear ability

Question 6

Overview of Krushchev’s attitudes post CMC

Answer 6

• Presented withdrawal from Cuba as a triumph
• Open for US-Soviet relations based on mutual restraint rather than brinkmanship
• Conciliation also important considering Sino-Soviet split.
• Limiting nuclear weapons agreed with JFK

Question 7

Why did JFK and Khrushchev’s plans to reduce arms not go ahead?

Answer 7

JFK assignation on November 22 1963

Khrushchev ousted from power in October 1964

Question 8

When was the Washington - Moscow Hotline set up?

Answer 8

June 1963

Question 9

What was the aim of the hotline?

Answer 9

Avoid delays that had occurred in communication between Kennedy and Krushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis

Question 10

What was communication prior to the hot line?

Answer 10

Government leaders had to wait for phone calls to go through a series of exchanges before the two could converse

Question 11

How often could they use the hotline?

Answer 11

7 days a week/ 24 hours a day

Question 12

Was the hotline instant/how did it work?

Answer 12

One leader would draft a message that would be encrypted and then transmitted and although not instant it was much faster than prior communication

Question 13

What did the hotline symbolize?

Answer 13

Symbolised a new spirit of cooperation although on a limited scale

Question 14

How frequently was the hotline used? - Johnson’s’ use?

Answer 14

Neither Kennedy or Khrushchev used the hotline
- Johnson used the first connection when he alerted the Soviets that the US were considering sending air support to Israel in the Six-Day War 1967

Question 15

When was the Moscow Test Ban Treaty signed?

Answer 15

August 1963

Question 16

Who initially proposed the idea for the Test Ban Treaty and who?

Answer 16

Soviets in 1950’s

Question 17

Why was their opposition to the Test Ban Treaty in the US and USSR?

Answer 17

Following the CMC the public did not want to be seen as weak to the other superpower
- However the threat of nuclear weaponry and fears regarding this supported government efforts to limit the use of any nuclear weapons.

Question 18

Why was the Test Ban Treaty limited in reducing nuclear armament?

Answer 18

Did not include the use of underground tests

Question 19

What was prohibited in the Test Ban Treaty?

Answer 19

• Above ground testing
• Underwater testing
• Outer space testing

Question 20

Who signed and who did not sign the Test Ban Treaty?

Answer 20

• US, USSR and UK signed the treaty
• France and China refused to sign the agreement

Question 21

What did the Test Ban Treaty signify?

Answer 21

• Understanding the dangers of nuclear war and willingness to limit usage
• First collective agreement to establish limitations
• Commitment to begin to ease tensions associated with Cold War
• Show of trust between the powers
• Step towards further agreements such as Salt I etc

Question 22

What did Kennedy do following the Test Ban Treaty?

Answer 22

Continued producing ICBM’s and SLBM’s

Question 23

What did the USA overestimated by 1963?

Answer 23

The strength of the Soviet nuclear threat

Question 24

Why did ABMs represent a major threat to MAD?

Answer 24

One side could potentially, should they gain the upper hand in ABMs, prevent an effective retaliation to a potential nuclear attack, removing their incentive not to implement a first-strike policy

Question 25

What persuaded the previously reluctant Soviets to include the ABM system in weapons negotiations?

Answer 25

The development of MIRVs by the USA, which meant that the USSR lost their ABM advantage as their systems were not designed to stop multiple warheads

Question 26

What issues arose regarding the arms race?

Answer 26

Parity and Cost

Question 27

When did China successfully test the atomic bomb?

Answer 27

16th October 1964

Question 28

When was the Non - Proliferation Treaty?

Answer 28

July 1968

Question 29

Who worked to form the NPT?

Answer 29

USA, GB, USSR

Question 30

What did the NPT agree?

Answer 30

Agreed they would not ‘transfer to any recipient nuclear weapons or devices to other countries or assist non-nuclear states to gain nuclear weapons

Question 31

What did NPT still allow the superpowers to do?

Answer 31

Allowed them to ‘develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes meaning it could be used as a source for fuel

Question 32

When did most of the UN sign the NPT and when did China and France publically and privately?

Answer 32

UN - 1968-70
China and France (Public) - 1992
(Private) 1968

Question 33

What was initiated following signing of NPT?

Answer 33

Further arms limitation discussions

Question 34

Why was there pressure from non-nuclear nations to introduce further nuclear arms limitations after the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?

Answer 34

A nuclear war or accident would not necessarily only affect the countries where they occurred

Question 35

What events in August and November 1968 halted arms discussions?

Answer 35

Aug - Czechoslovakia
Nov - Johnson not going up for re-election

Question 36

When did Salt Talks begin?

Answer 36

1969

Question 37

Why did Nixon want to continue arms limitations?

Answer 37

• Economic
• Improve US international position

Question 38

What did negotiations on SALT I provide for Brezhnev?

Answer 38

An opportunity to focus on internal affairs