Cold War Unit 5 - The Thaw and moves towards détente, 1963-1972

Question 1

The hotline

Answer 1

• System of direct communication set up between the Kremlin (Moscow) and White House (DC) after the cuban missile crisis to avoid misunderstandings
• Limited use except for Nixon & Brezhnev using it in 1971 for the war between India & Pakistan

Question 2

The limited test ban treaty 1963

Answer 2

• Drawn up by USA, USSR and UK
• Countries agreed not to carry out any nuclear weapon test explosion in the atmosphere, under water or in outer space or in any other environment if the explosion would cause radioactive debris
• After 1963, 113 countries signed the treaty

Question 3

The outer space treaty 1967

Answer 3

• Stopped arms race spreading into space and set out that no one could claim the moon
• stated:
• The exploration and use of outer space should be carried out for the benefit of all countries
• States should not place nuclear weapons or other WMDs in orbit or on celestial bodies (planets)
• The moon and other celestial bodies should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes
• States will be responsible for damage caused by their space objects
• States should avoid harmful contamination of space & celestial bodies
• Later signed by 12 other countries

Question 4

The nuclear non-proliferation treaty 1968

Answer 4

• Signed by USA, USSR & UK and 59 other states
• Divided countries in two groups - Nuclear weapon states (NWS) e.g. USA, UK, USSR, China & France & non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS)
• NWS would work towards disarmament and would play no part in helping other nations develop the weapons
• NNWS agreed to not develop nuclear weapons - signed by NNWS either because they didn’t have the tech or financial ability or the desire to develop the weapons

Question 5

Why the USA wanted détente

Answer 5

• Vietnam war expenses - $170B alongside the unpopularity both domestically and internationally with USA military intervention alongside 60,000 dead soldiers
• Social inequality with race and economic status
• A policy pf détente seemed attractive so the US could spend less on weapons and try to solve social problems that led to 1968 riots
• Nixon also wanted relations with China after their first atomic bomb in 1964 and missile in 1966and the fear of the communist nations having relations

Question 6

Why the USSR wanted détente

Answer 6

• USSR had finally caught up to the US and believed they could discuss arms limitations from a position of strength especially with the Vietnam war
• USSR also had economic problems and wanted to cut weapons spendings and improve living standards - 30% of GDP was going on defense vs 13% for USA and was falling behind on new technologies e.g. computers & microchips - relations could let the West share

Question 7

China & USSR

Answer 7

• 1949 - Communists take power in China after civil war
• 1950 - Chairman Mao visited Moscow and two countries to sign Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship - agreed USSR provide $300 million in aid and USSR to help if China attacked by Japan or USA
• Mao offended by treatment of Chinese delegates in Moscow because of poor accommodations
• Khrushchev visited Beijing in 1958 but two leaders didn’t get on - Khrushchev later criticized Mao’s policies on China on Mao accused Khrushchev of cowardice in Cuban Missile Crisis & Czechoslovakia was an attack on a fellow communist state
• 1969 fight on Chinese - Soviet border that could have led to war

Question 8

China & USA

Answer 8

• Previously there were poor relations due to Douglas MacArthur fighting against the Chinese in the Korean War & USA showing it was willing to go to war for Taiwan
• April 1971 - Americans & Chinese entered teams in World Table Tennis Championships in Japan - friendly contact between teams & USA team invited to play in China
• After games, Secretary of State - Henry Kissinger visited China & met with PM Zhou En-lai - had secret meetings & established a friendly relationship
• Kissinger negotiated SALT 1, won a Nobel in 1973 for his involvement in ending the Vietnam war & came with Nixon to meet Mao in Beijing where peaceful solution on Taiwan was made in 1972

Question 9

Ostpolitik & Détente

Answer 9

• Pressure for improving relations between East & West coming from Europe
• Czechoslovakian invasion worried political leaders
• 1969 - Willy Brandt - chancellor of West Germany - wanted to establish links with East & West Europe with ‘Ostpolitik’ & Western European nations began establishing relations with Eastern European countries

Question 10

SALT 1 May 1972

Answer 10

• Pressure for an agreement led to the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) in May 1972
• Second signed in 1979 & made SALT, SALT 1
• Set out agreements in three areas:
• Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty - each country allowed two sites with max 100 on each site
• Interim Treaty - restrictions on ICBMS & SLBMs ( submarine-launches ballistic missiles) for each country - USSR allowed more ICBMs because US had more strategic bombers but uS created MIRVs - Multiple independently-targetable re-entry vehicles - multiple warheads on a missile
• Basic Principles Agreement - banned warheads on seabed and had sets to avoid nuclear war
• Had weaknesses because if war happened it was unlikely this would be upheld - didn’t;t cover technological development & MIRVs
• Had importance with USA & USSR making improvements & Nixon visited Brezhnev in Moscow shortly after and Brezhnev visited DC in 1973
• 1974 - negotiations for SALT 2 began