Cold war unit 3 Flashcards
What are the causes of detente (conflicts)
USA and USSR focused on other conflicts- The Vietnam War was draining USA’s military and economic resources. The Civil Rights movement was also reaching it’s peak with Martin Luther King’s assassination and subsequent riots in 1968.
- The USSR wanted to improve its living standards and update its economy to reduce the unrest in the satellite states (for e.g. Prague Spring in 1968).
What were the causes of detente (arms race)
Both USA and USSR wanted to calm down the arms race
-USA was spending $22 billion a year on the Vietnam War, they could not afford to keep up the arms race.
-Similarly, the Soviet Union was spending 20% of its government budget on the military.
When was SALT 1 signed and who signed it
SALT 1 - May 1972: (Brezhnev and Nixon)
What was included in SALT 1
The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty was signed. The possession of ABMs, ICBMs and SLBMs were limited through the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the Interim Treaty. The Basic Principles Agreement provided steps for avoiding nuclear war but also rules for the conduct of nuclear warfare if it happened.
When was the Helsinki accords and who signed it
The Helsinki Accords 1975: (Brezhnev and Ford)
What did the Helsinki accords contain
33 nations from NATO and the Warsaw Pact came together in 1973 and an agreement was reached in 1975 to make:
European Borders inviolable,
International Co-operation stronger
Human Rights were protected.~
SALT 2 – June 1979: (Brezhnev and Carter)
When was the SALT 2 and who signed it
SALT 2 – June 1979: (Brezhnev and Carter)
What did the SALT 2 contain
SALT 2 – June 1979: (Brezhnev and Carter) Discussions working towards a second SALT included restrictions on missile launchers and strategic bombers, as well as a ban on testing or developing new types of ICBMs. However this was never ratified (agreed) by USA…
When did detente end
November 1979
Why did detente end
In November 1979, Islamic militants captured the American embassy in Tehran, publicly humiliating American diplomats and causing many angry Americans to want the end of détente so that they could restore their powerful position and defend themselves against threats. In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan which quickly ended the détente as President Carter did not support this decision.
How did detente change relations
Positive change in Relations:
Publicly signing the treaties had great symbolic importance, however not all were followed.
How did Americans feel about detente
Americans mistrust in the Soviet Union:
CK: Many Americans were beginning to believe any agreements with the Soviet Union were not to be trusted, and after they invaded Afghanistan, the détente was finished.
What caused the Afghanistan invasion
Afghanistan had an Islamic Revolution in 1979
CK: In 1979, there was a revolution in Afghanistan and the Shah was replaced by a Muslim Fundamentalist government led by Hafizullah Amin (rumoured to be anti-communist).
-Brezhnev was determined that Islam would not spread into the Soviet Union and threaten communism.
What happened on the 24th December 1979
24th December 1979: Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan, claiming they were invited by Amin to support his government against terrorists.
What happened by the 27th December 1979
27th December 1979: Amin was assassinated (almost certainly by Soviet commandos) and he was replaced by Babrak Kamal who was pro-Soviet. Soviet forces remained in Afghanistan for almost ten years after that, fighting opponents of Kamal called the mujahideen (Muslim Fundamentalists).
What was the American reaction to the Afghanistan invasion
-The USA funded the mujahideen with money and weapons to fight against the Soviets, entering into a proxy war.
-Carter withdrew SALT 2 and increased spending on arms, saying in January 1980 that the USA would repel the Soviets by force, if necessary as their interest in the Persian Golf was under threat this was the Carter Doctrine.
What was the negative impact on USA soviet relations after the Afghanistan invasion
Negative impact on USA-Soviet Relations:
Détente was already breaking up, but the invasion gave the USA a chance to ‘get out’ of détente. SALT II cancelled. Confrontation became a lot more likely as Ronald Reagan won a landslide victory in 1980 against Carter. Second Cold War begins.
How did the Afghanistan invasion trigger Olympic boycotts
-The USA led a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games in protest of Afghanistan, supported by over 60 nations. The boycott was very effective, and the Soviet Union was extremely angry as they were undermined; USA-Soviet relations deteriorated further. Relations were so poor that 4 years later, at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the Soviet Union led a boycott which was joined by 15 communist countries.
Negative impacts on the soviet Union after the invasion
Negative impact on the Soviet Union
War in Afghanistan lasts 10 years, costs Soviet Union $8billion per year and 1.5 million civilian deaths.
Causes of the second cold war (invasion)
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Worsened relations between the USA and Soviet Union as they entered into a 10 year proxy war.
(see Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan flashcard)
Causes of the second cold war (elections)
Election of Ronald Reagan
-Reagan elected in 1980 in a landslide victory against Carter as the USA wanted to get tough on communism.
-In a speech to a Christian group in 1983, Reagan described the Soviet Union as an ‘evil empire’ and the USA as the ’forces of good’.
Events of the second cold war (arms)
Increased Spending on Arms: Reagan persuaded US Congress to boost the armed forces by spending more on arms: in 1982, 13% more was spent, and a further 8% in 1983-84 as well as new weapons such as Trident Submarines and Stealth Bombers being developed.
