Cooperation (15) Flashcards
What were Khrushchev’s post Cuban Missile Crisis objectives?
Was interested in improving the Soviet economy and standards of living but had to prove that Mao Zedong was wrong about the USSR being revisionist. He therefore wanted to commit to peaceful-coexistence but had to show anti-west sentiment to stay at the head of communist world.
What were Khrushchev’s attitude towards the USA and nuclear weapons after the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Pravda claimed that Khrushchev saved the world from nuclear catastrophe with his ‘calm and wisdom’. Wanted a mutual relationship with the USA based off of restraint rather than brinksmanship. Conciliation had become more important as the Soviets had lost their split with the Chinese; they had managed to improve their relations with Josip Tito in Yugoslavia. Khrushchev also agreed with Kennedy that the number of countries with nuclear weapons had to be limited. Khrushchev was ousted in October 1964.
What was Kennedy’s view after the Cuban Missile Crisis?
He should be trying to avoid a nuclear conflict
Confirmed in the summer of 1963 when General Leon Johnson, director of the National Security Council’s Net Evaluation Subcommittee concluded that a nuclear war between the USA and USSR in the years 1963-1964 would have a combined 93 million casualties - also concluded that the USSR would have this information
The Washington-Moscow Hotline
June 1963
Direct communication line
Unprecedented
Wanted to erase problems of slow communication seen in the Cuban Missile Crisis
First used by Johnson in the Six Day War in Israel in 1967
Moscow Test Ban Treaty
August 1963
Did not include underground tests – were to difficult to monitor as could not differentiate between earthquakes
Above-ground, underwater and outer space nuclear testing was prohibited
USA, the USSR and the UK signed
France and China refused on the grounds that they were still developing technologically
France continued to test in the South Pacific into the 1990s
China as late as 1996
It was however the first collective agreement to establish some limitations on the nuclear arms race
Confirmed that the USA, USSR and Britain were committed to easing the tensions of the Cold War
The eventuality of a real Nuclear War was recognised
The monitoring of nuclear weapons tests was viable in 1963 as the USA and USSR had sophisticated satellite system
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
July 1968
The Kennedy Administration continued to make ICBMs and SLBMs after the Test Ban Treaty
By the end of the 60s the USSR had gained superiority
The Soviets had developed ABMs which detracted the value of nuclear weapons as a deterrent by limiting the possibility of MAD
The USSR were, at first, reluctant to include ABMs in the limitation talks but after the USA developed MIRVs they lost their advantage as the USSRs ABMs were not able to intercept multiple warheads.
Both sides wanted to end the enormous cost of the arms race
In October 1964, China successfully tested their first atomic bomb
The states would not ‘transfer to any recipient nuclear weapons or other nuclear devices or control over such weapons’
They would also not encourage other countries to develop nuclear weapons
Allowed countries to develop nuclear technology for scientific and peaceful purposes
Most UN members signed between 1968-70
• France and China did not sign until 1992
Reasons for Soviet-American Rapprochement
Soviet Union facing many issues and needed better relations with the USA
o Economy stagnating
• 1950s GNP had grown by over 6% but in the late 60s it had fallen to under 4%
• By 1971 the Soviet Union had surpassed the USA in ICBMs by 1,300 to 1,054
o This actually meant that negotiation was possible as the USSR no longer felt inferior to the USA’s military
• By November 1969 the USSR overtook the USA in ICBMs 1,130 to 1,054 but the USA had an edge in its superior submarine-launched missiles and long range bombers
