Detente, 1969-79 Flashcards
Cause 1 - Both sides realised they needed to relax international relations
The Cuban Missile Crisis had showed that even if the leaders did not want war, one could nearly break out by mistake. Therefore, during the 1970s, there was an attempt to have a more stable relationship. This was known as détente.
The Soviet Union and USA had enough long-distance weapons to destroy each other many times over. Any war would be MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). Neither country wanted to risk a war.
Cause 2 - each superpower had their own reasons
The new US president, Richard Nixon, came to power in 1968 during the bloody Vietnam War. He wanted to concentrate on ending the conflict rather than having further conflict with the Soviet Union - People in America were calling for civil rights and women’s equality and they wanted the US to take a less active role in international affairs. In addition, there were large-scale demonstrations against Vietnam and the level of social inequality, particularly between blacks and whites.
The Soviet Union had a stagnant economy for several years and needed to reinvest in industry, rather than spending most of their money on expensive nuclear weapons. The Soviet Union had poor living standards in this period. They wanted to increase housing and leisure for their citizens.
Event 1 - SALT 1
The Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty was signed in May 1972. The treaty was the result of several years of difficult negotiations about which weapons to limit:
ABMs were only allowed at two sites and limited to 100 missiles
ICBMs and SLBMs were limited on both sides - the USSR were allowed more ICBMs because the USA had more strategic bomber
Basic Principles Agreement was an attempt to control and prevent nuclear warfare.
Event 2 - Helsinki Accords
In 1975, 22 nations from NATO and Warsaw Pact countries met to build on the spirit of co-operation started at SALT 1. They reached agreements in three areas:
European borders - East and West Germany were formally recognised.
International Co-operation - This included the Apollo-Soyuz mission in which a Soviet-American team of astronauts and cosmonauts worked together in space and exchanged symbolic gifts
Human Rights - The USA wanted to extend human rights into the USSR. The Soviets agreed in principle but then prevented it from working in practice.
Consequence 1 - Failure of SALT II and growing suspicion of the USSR
SALT II was supposed to be even more significant than SALT I as it included restrictions on missile launchers and strategic bombers as well as a ban on testing or deploying new ICBMs. However, due to an increase in Soviet support for communist groups in countries like El Salvador, Nicaragua and Angola, both Democrats and Republicans in the US government felt the USSR could not be trusted and that any deal signed would be seen as a sign of weakness.
Consequence 2 - America is forced into a position where it has to look strong because of Tehran and Afghanistan
Due to two major incidents, the USA decided not to ratify SALT 2 and detente came to an end, as preparations for the ‘Second Cold War’ began. Firstly, in November 1979, islamic militants too the Tehran American embassy hostage, keeping 60 hostages for 444 days. Many Americans wanted their country to restore its position as powerful nation. Then, on Christmas Day 1979, the USSR invaded Afghanistan and Carter issued the Carter Doctrine, ending detente completely.
