chapter 8

Question 1

invasion of afghanistan (background)

Answer 1

• 1979
• ussr invaded afghanistan, threatened oil supplies for the west
  background to soviet involvement in afghanistan - april 1978, pdpa (communist party) overthrow government of afghanistan and taraki became prime minister, communist reform was introduced
• sept 1979, amin seized power from taraki but there was instability due to anti-muslim policies
• afghan muslims joined the mujahideen, a guerilla movement that wanted to overthrow the amin movement and declared a jihad on the supports of amin
• amins regime became dependent on soviet military equipment
• brezhnev was concerned about spread of islamic fundamentalism

Question 2

invasion

Answer 2

• 50k soviet troops sent to afghanistan between dec 1979 and 1st january 1980 to protect the pdpa from the muhajideen and brezhnev said they were complying with the 1978 treaty of friendship that taraki had signed
• amin was shot and replaced by kamal in december 1979, who had been in exile in moscow
• afghan soldiers deserted to join the mujahideen and the kamal government required 85k soviet soldiers

Question 3

carter doctrine

Answer 3

• policy which stated that the usa would use military force to defend its national interests in the persian gulf region
• promised military aid to countries bordering afghanistan
• shipments of grain to the ussr cancelled
• led to end of detente

Question 4

moscow olympics 1980

Answer 4

• usa and other countries boycotted moscow olympics

Question 5

reagan’s defence policy

Answer 5

• 1981-87
• 100 mx missiles
• 100 b1 long range and supersonic bombers
• construction of a new stealth bomber invisible to radar
• six trident nuclear submarines
• strengthening of military comms
• development of neutron bombshell

Question 6

impact of defence policy

Answer 6

impact:
- people believed reagan and advisers were using NUTS (nuclear utilisation target selection)
- MAD (mutually assured destruction)
zero option - reagan said he would cancel deployment of US irbms in return for ussr dismantling comparable forces in 1981
- in 1982 he called the ussr an evil empire and andropov called him insane and a liar

Question 7

polish solidarity

Answer 7

• usa gave assistance to polish workers trade union movement
• criticised brezhnev and the ussr and banned hi-tech trading with the ussr

Question 8

strategic defence initiative

Answer 8

• would shield against missiles launched at the us and destroy them in space using lasers
• andropov accused the usa of preparing an attack and thought it gave them an advantage in any conflict
• ussr could not afford to respond due to economic issues
• soviet union was behind in computer technology and could not develop that type of program

Question 9

reagans attitude to foreign polices

Answer 9

• fighting communism
• less emphasis on human rights
• increased us defence spending