Conflict and Tension between East and West - An easing of tension

Question 1

what impact did the Vietnam War have on America by the 1960s

Answer 1

• 58,000 lives lost - the war was becoming increasingly unpopular
• it was clear that war was unwinnable
• more US dollars were being poured in and the death toll continued to increase

Question 2

why was it important to withdraw from the Vietnam war for superpower relations?

Answer 2

• the Soviets saw involvement as an attempt by the Americans to force their ideology on a region that was embracing communism

Question 3

when and how did the Vietnam war end?

Answer 3

• the war ended in 1973 when the US withdrew its troops and by 1975 the communists controlled the whole of Vietnam

Question 4

what rights were the West concerned the Soviets were prohibiting?

Answer 4

• civil rights, free speech, religion

Question 5

why was fighting against soviet oppression of human rights not a priority for western leader?

Answer 5

• there were calls from the West for greater freedoms but Western leaders were reluctant to push the issue and risk damaging and improving relationships

Question 6

what was detente?

Answer 6

• the period of detente refers to the time in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s when the two superpowers eased tension and tried to cooperate to avoid conflict in the cold war

Question 7

how were nuclear weapons a reason for detente?

Answer 7

• arms race had reached its height during the Cuban Missile Crisis
• Britain and France had developed their own nuclear weapons by the end of the 1960s. As allies of the USA, the USSR saw this as a threat
• in 1964, China tested their first hydrogen bomb. the fear that more predictable governments could develop nuclear weapons was a concern to both countries

Question 8

how was the China-Soviet split a reason for detente?

Answer 8

• In the late 1960s china-soviet relationships began to break down. China did not agree with the ideas of Khrushchev or Brezhnev
• this was an opportunity for the USA as communism was no longer a single powerful force
• in 1971, the US table tennis team travelled to China for a tournament. This becomes known as ping-pong diplomacy
• in 1972, Nixon becomes the first US president to ever visit China. This ended 25 years of no communications or diplomatic ties
• in 1975, the USA and China had full diplomatic ties. the USA used this as leverage with the USSR. Nixon called this the ‘ week that changed the world’

Question 9

how did economic issues become a reason for detente?

Answer 9

• continuing the arms and space race would have bankrupted the USSR within a few years
• in 1969 East and West Germany agree not to develop nuclear weapons
• as experienced and old “cold war warriors”, Brezhnev and Nixon recognised that the time had come to talk

Question 10

how were lessons of conflict a reason for detente?

Answer 10

• war in Vietnam showed that huge military power and possession of nuclear weapons did not mean success
• increasingly, the USA and the USSR were able to defend their interests without outright conflict - eg. in the Arab-Israeli conflict in the middle east -> USA offered to support Israel while the USSR backed Syria and Eygpt. Neither side wanted war and so talking with each other seemed logical

Question 11

what was SALT I?

Answer 11

• the strategic arms limitation talks (SALT) began in 1969. the USA and USSR agreed to ban the building of new ballistic missiles launchers, while the Anti- ballistic Missile treaty reduced the number of anti-nuclear defence systems that could be built
• there were talks held in Helsinki and Vienna over a period of three years, and an agreement was signed at Moscow Summit in May 1972
• this was a huge political achievement and improved the personal relationship between Brezhnev and Nixon

Question 12

when does Nixon visit Brezhnev?

Answer 12

• in May 1972, Nixon visits Brezhnev in Moscow
• meeting friendly despite tensions still existing over Vietnam
• for the first time in history, American flag flew over Kremlin to mark the visit
• Nixon and his wife also attended the banquet later that evening

Question 13

how did space improve relations between the superpowers?

Answer 13

• in April 1972, USA and USSR signed an agreement concerning cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes
• committed two countries to a joint space mission in 1975
• led to information being shared between the USA and the Soviets about the Soviet space programme

Question 14

what were the limitations of detente?

Answer 14

• neither Russia nor America kept to the SALT I agreement - neither side reduced their conventional weapons
• table tennis and space meetings were seen as just one-off propaganda stunts
• Brezhnev said that communists would still try to destroy capitalism. Some historians suggest that Nixon only went to drive a wedge between Russia and China
• further talks were much less successful and the SALT 2 treaty in 1979 added little

Question 15

when did the Cold War end?

Answer 15

• the Cold War officially ended in 1991 with the break-up of the Soviet Union