Cold war third knowledge organiser Flashcards
What was detente?
an easing of tensions
Why did USA decide to follow the policy of detente? (4)
Nixon appointed president and he wanted to avoid increased cost of Vietnam war as it was costing him billions
Vietnam war cost 60000 US soldiers
had been a huge anti-war and anti-nuclear weapons protest in the US
building nuclear weapons expensive-arms race needed to end and they needed to spend their money elsewhere
Why did USSR decide to follow policy of detente? (4)
people living in USSR had very poor living standards that they could not improve while the USSR was competing with the USA in arms race/space race
USSR’s economy failing as it was not developing
increasing relations with the west would allow the trade of new technology/ new goods and ideas
by ending the arms race, USSR could spend less money on arms race and nuclear weapons and more money on issues affecting people in their country
When was SALT 1, what did it stand for and who was involved?
May 1972
Strategic arms limitation treaty
Nixon and Brezhnev
positives of SALT 1 (3)
both nations signed anti- ballistic missile treaty which limited how many ABM each superpower could have
An interim Agreement on offensive arms was signed- putting a five year freeze on building ICBM’d and submarine launched missiles
major symbolic victory- showed both nations were willing to reach agreements and make better relations publicly.
limitations of SALT 1 (3)
agreement did not limit number of bombs
treaty did not restrict latest technological developments, such as MIRV’s which could fire multiple missiles at once
if tensions did increase again, it was unlikely that nuclear war would be stopped because of a piece of paper, both countries still owned enough weapons to destroy each other
When was SALT 2
1979
describe 3 terms SALT 2 would have proposed
banned ICBM launches
restricted number of MURV’S
reduced number of nuclear delivery vehicles
explain two reasons why the US refused to sign SALT 2
USA concerned over the 2000 soviet troops in Cuba
Soviets invasion of Afghanistan
When did Nixon visit Moscow and why was this significant?
1972
Nixon was the first USA president to step on Soviet soil
When were the Helsinki accords?
1975
BASKET ONE HELSINKI
security
All European borders were to be respected- cannot be altered by force- Soviet Union had to accept the existence of West Germany
BASKET TWO HELSINKI
co operation
The USA and USSR will work together to increase trade and technology
BASKET THREE HELSINKI
Human rights
all countries had to agree on the basic human rights and basic freedoms in their nations eg. free speech, free thought etc.
Why was basket one such a high point for detente?
marked the first time the USSR acknowledged West Germany as a country
