Detente Flashcards
Detente
Détente means the relaxation of tensions/improvement of the relationship between the US/USSR and the US/China. It came about in the late 1960s and into the 1970s and happened for a few reasons. 1) the US wanted the USSR and China to put pressure onto North Vietnam and encourage the Viet Cong to surrender to the South Vietnamese and the Americans 2) China wanted to be in the UN and needed US support to do so 3) US and USSR had been spending massive amounts of money on the arms race and if they could improve their relationship, they hoped they could both decrease military spending.
What was Ping Pong Diplomacy and what is it an example of?
Ping Pong Diplomacy describes the improving relationship between the US and China during détente. Richard Nixon became the first US president to travel to communist China in 1972 and the US Ping Pong team competed against the Chinese team. Improving relationships between the US and China were meant to help solve Cold War era problems during détente.
What were the Helsinki Accords (1975) and what was the most significant provision?
The Helsinki Accords were signed by nearly all European nations, including the USSR, and also by the US. One issue they agreed to was the post-WWII borders in Europe, but more significantly, all countries signed that they would respect human rights. This final provision would give the people of the USSR a legal claim when it came to holding the USSR accountable for its actions under glasnost.
