Cold War C3 (Why did the Cold War end?) Flashcards
4 main reasons for Détente 1960-70s
- MAD theory
- Nixon relaxed military by taking troops out of Vietnam
- USA had social issues with protests
- SU had economic issues and cut military funding
SALT 1 (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) 1972
- banned weapons including Anti- ballistic missle, ICBs, SLBMs
- Banned warheads on seabeds
- didn’t do much as countries still had many nuclear weapons
- showed Khrushchev and Nixon could agree
3 key agreements of Helsinki Accords 1975
- European boarders cannot be altered by force
- more trade and technology agreements to increase international cooperation
- accept human rights, freedom of speech, religion and free movement across Europe
Salt 2 + why is faded 1979
- between Carter and Brezhnev to reduce nuclear weapons further and stop testing
- faded due to mistrust of SU and their capturing of US embassy in Iran
Why did Détente end?
- Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
- Carter couldn’t support the treaty anymore
Why SU invaded Afghanistan in 1979
- buffer zone with capitalism
- initially Communist but new leader Amin discussed with USA
- lead to SU invading to have a pro-communist government
4 US reactions to the invasion of Afghanistan
- Carter Doctrine not allow SU control in Afghanistan
- SALT 2 fell apart and ended negotiations
- formed alliance with China and Israel and funded Mujahideen to fight USSR
- Boycott 1980 in Moscow Olympics then SU boycotted 1984
4 beliefs of Ronald Reagan the new US President
- New Cold War
- rejected peaceful coexistence
- believed Détente made US weak
- USA fight for freedom
Significance of Reagan’s evil empire speach
- SU is evil
- good v evil
- USA can’t be complacent
What was SDI ‘star wars’?
- strategic defence initiative
- government spend money to send lasers to prevent nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons to fire in space
- USA had first strike on SU
5 effects of SDI on superpower relations
- broke Détente
- space race to arms race
- Soviets not enough money
- SU couldn’t keep up
- turning point unmatched
3 problems with SU as Gorbachev took over
- manoeuvres across Poland ready for invasion relying on secret police
- poor leadership
- leaders had health problems
4 Gorbachev policies
- Soviet state and economy reform to be more capitalism
- more openness less fear
- Brezhnev Doctrine dropped (stopping satellite states become liberal)
- less money on arms and withdraw from Afghanistan
Perestroika
Russian for ‘reconstruction’, reconstruct government
Glasnost
Russian for ‘openness’, meaning government speak with people more
Significance or Chernobyl
Symbol of the crisis of the communist system
2 Reagan responses to Gorbachev
- Reagan changed his view on soviets and relations improved
- Reagan saw chance to end Cold War
Geneva Summit Meeting 1985
No agreement, good relations shown
Reykjavik 1986
Both leaders Knew USA wouldn’t give up on STI
Washington 1987
Signed INF treaty to reduce missile range
Moscow 1988
Gorbachev speech about withdrawing troops in Afghanistan and dissolving Warsaw Pact
Malta 1989
Marked end of cold war and new co-operation
What was the ‘year of the miracles’
- this is when all satellite states broke away from SU all in one year and became free countries
- included Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia
Berlin Wall Collapse 1989
- East Germany boarder guards forced to leave and open gates
- Symbolic change between east/west
Warsaw Pact dissolved 1991
- pact was alliance against capitalism
- collapse of communism it had no purpose
25 December 1991
- Gorbachev steps down and announces breakup of SU
