Ch 3 - Flashcards
What is detente ?
A period of peace between two groups that were previously at war or hostile to one another
What reasons did the USA have have trying to develop peace between itself and the USSR ?
- It wanted to focus one doing the Vietnam war
- Needed to address social problems that led to large-scale rioting in 1968
- Building nuclear weapons was expensive
What reasons did the USSR have have trying to develop peace between itself and the USA ?
- Living standards were poor
- Economy was to developing ( economic problems )
- Building nuclear weapons was expensive
What did the detente permit both superpowers to do ?
- They could then spend less one on nuclear weapons
- They had more money and time to concentrate on other issues
What did the Cuban Missile crisis cause the superpowers to realise ?
- The Cuban Missile crisis shows that even if the superpowers didn’t want nuclear war they could easily lose controls of events : a war could break out accidentally
What dd the Cuban Missile crisis lead to ?
This led to a genuine attempt to have more co-operative and stable relationship during the 1970s = detente
What does SALT stand for ?
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
What was SALT 1 ?
A treaty signed by the two superpowers during the period of detente about limitations on weaponry. This was a result of difficult negotiations.
When did SALT 1 occur ?
In 1972
What were the conditions of the SALT 1 ?
- No further production of strategic ballistic weapons
- The Interim Treaty
- The Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty
What did the Interim Treaty state ?
- No increase in number of intercontinental ballistic weapons (ICBMs) (though new ones could be added to replace old ones).
- No new nuclear missile launchers.
New submarines that could launch nuclear weapons (SLBMs) only allowed as replacements for existing missile launchers.
What did the Anti-ballistic missile treaty state ?
It agreed that both sides were only allowed two sites for ABMs - each site could have a minimum of 100 missiles
What were the positive effects of the SALT 1 ?
- Slowed down the arms race by placing limits on the number of bombers, ICBMs and SLBMs each side could have.
- Led to further negotiations that culminated in the SALT 2 Treaty
- Ensured that neither side had a decisive advantage in strategic nuclear weapons.
What was the largest positive impact of SALT 1 ?
Led to better public international relations between the two superpowers
What were the negative effects of the SALT 1 ?
- Agreement/ Treaty did not completely ensure that nuclear war would be prevented when likely
- Did not cover intermediate nuclear weapons ( like MIRVs )
When were the Helsinki Accords occur ?
In 1975
What happened during the Helsinki Accords ?
- 33 nations form NATO and the Warsaw Pact met to build on the spirit of co-operation which had been established at SALT 1
- Agreements had been reached in 3 areas called ‘baskets’
What was Basket 1 ?
- Agreement that borders were inviolable and could not be altered forcefully
- Accepted border between East and West Germany
What was Basket 2 ?
- Agreed on better international co-operation between Western and Soviet-controlled countries
- Included trade engagements , technology exchanges and a joint space mission
What was Basket 3 ?
- Agreement on extended human rights in Soviet controlled countries
- For people to have individual freedoms like free speech, religion and free movement across Europe
What were the positive effects of the Helneski Accords ?
- Helped the USA and the Soviet Union form a stable relationship.
- Represented the high point of détente.
- Coincided with more US-Soviet cooperation
What were the negative effects of the Helneski Accords ?
- The Soviet Union continued to focus on Eastern bloc countries and to apply the Brezhnev Doctrine = It treated protesters harshly
- The USA continued to prioritise its interests in countries it could influence, like Chile and El Salvador.
What did the SALT 2 inevitably lead to and why ?
- SALT 2 was an arms control agreement that marked the end of détente.
- The treaty was never ratified due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
When did the SALT 2 occur ?
In 1979
Since when had SALT 2 been under negotiations ?
Since 1972
What were the features of the SALT 2 ?
- Each superpower limited to 2250 warheads. SALT 2 counted warheads while SALT 1 simply counted missiles and bombers.
- Imposed limits on new launch systems including multi-warhead missiles.
What had started to worsen relations during the 1970s ?
- In the USA, there was a growing mistrust in USSR government, there had been increased support for communist groups in countries such as EL Salvador and Angola from the USSR
- 1979, Islamic militants captured the American embassy in Tehran and humiliated them, led angry Americans to want to see an end to detente/ USA to restore its position
- USSR invade Afghanistan
Why were SALT 1 and 2 partially unsuccessful ?
- Arms control agreements only set out to limit the number of warheads each superpower had. They did not attempt to reduce them.
What were Salt 1 and 2 partially successful ?
- Arms control agreements placed limits on the number of (ABMs), (ICBMs) and (SLBMs)
- This reduced the possibility of nuclear war by ensuring that neither side had the ability to destroy all the other side’s nuclear weapons in one strike)
What is a ICBM ?
Intercontinental ballistic missile
What is a MIRV ?
Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle
What is a SLBM ?
Submarine-launched ballistic missile
What is a ABM ?
Anti-ballistic missile
When did the USSR invade Afghanistan ?
1979
What happened as a consequence of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan ?
This meant the US Senate never ratified (approved) the SALT 2 treaty, so it never became official US policy.
Why was Afghanistan important to the USSR ?
- Afghanistan was viewed by the USSR as an important neighbour
- It formed an important buffer zone between the USSR and Iran
What led to the invasion of Afghanistan ?
- April 1978, a Pro-Sovit government took control in Afghanistan
- This was toppled in 1979 when Amin staged a coup
How did the USSR initially view Amin’s government ?
- Initially Moscow supported Amin
- However, his government became increasingly unpopular when other pro-muslim factions tried to overthrow him
What triggered the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan ?
- When Brezhnev heard rumours that Amin was talking to the USA about possible American support
what happened during the invasion of Afghanistan ?
- Dec 1979 , Soviet forces invaded claiming they had been invited by Amin to support his government against terrorists
- Amin was assassinated
- Main was replaced by Pro-Soviet Babrak Kamal
What is a coup ?
A sudden, violent, and unlawful seizure of power from a government
How did the USSR view Soviet invasion if Afghanistan ?
They thought it was similar to Czechoslovakia, an invasion in order to protect the USSR’s intreats in neighbouring state
How did the USA view Soviet invasion if Afghanistan ?
- Saw it as USSR trying to spread communism abroad
- Caused withdrawal of SALT 2 and USA spent more on arms
What was the Carter Doctrine ?
A doctrine stating that the USA would repel by force any threat to USA interests in the Persian Gulf
When was Ronald Reagan elected ?
In 1980
When was Mikhail Gorbachev elected ?
1985
What were Renold Reagan’s beliefs ?
- He was very anti-communist
- He described the USSR as an ‘evil empire’ during a speech
What was Reagan’s more tough approach towards the USSR ?
- He persuaded the US congress to increases pending on arms agains ( 13% more in 1982 )
- He kickstarted the arms race again
- he introduced Reagan Doctrine
What was the Reagan Doctrine ?
It stated that the USA would only support anti-communist governments and anti-communist governments trying to overthrow communist governments
When was the Moscow Olympic Games ?
in 1980
What did the USSR want to achieve eat the Moscow olympics ?
- They wanted to promote communism to the huge television audience who would watch the Olympics of the world
How did the USA boycott the USSR Olympics ?
- They told athletes of other countries not to go ( Britain didn’t prevent their athletes from going but encouraged it, Isa threatened athletes with their passport being taken away )
- This caused many of the best athletes not to attend the Moscow olympics
What was the effect of the boycott olympics in Moscow ?
- Due to many of the best athletes not attending the Moscow olympics, it made many events look second-rate
- The USSR were very angry that their chance to showcase communism was undermined
- Caused relations between USA and USSR to deteriorate
What’d the SDI stand for ?
Strategic Defence initiative ( Star Wars )
When was the SDI announced ?
in 1983
What was the SDI ?
- It was a new policy introduced by Reagan
- It would place satellite states in orbit
- These satellite states would have powerful lasers that would shoot down any Soviet missiles an prevent them from harming the USA
What was Reagan’s aim with the SDI ?
To place Soviet spending under even more pressure
What was the Crisis in the USSR during the 1980s ?
- Its economy was in poor shape, partly because it spent so much on weapons.
- Living standards were very low right across the Eastern bloc.
- It was bogged down in the war in Afghanistan.
- The Soviet Union did not have the USA’s computing expertise.
- The Soviet Union could not keep pace with the USA’s new missile technology.
What was the USSR reaction to the SDI ?
- They were in shock
- They had placed large amounts of sums into catching up with the USA but now their missiles were redundant and new system was needed ( however economy was weak )
What was the significance of the SDI ?
- It was a turning point in the arms race and Cold War
- USA would have to invest a lot of resources in order to pull it off
- USSR hadn’t caught up yet at that point and having a weak economy couldn’t possibly try and create a similar system to the SDI
