Detente Flashcards
Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
August 1963
Responsibility of the USSR and US leaders to avoid nuclear war
Limited the kinds of testing the two super powers could do
JFK’s Peace Speech
June 1963
Kennedy sought to reach out to Khrushchev in order to find a way to avoid conflict and encourage cooperation
Speech initiated a forgotten detente; an early thaw in relations between the two superpowers that was interrupted by Kennedy’s assassination
Kennedy’s Berlin Visit
1963
Kennedy visited Berlin
Gave a speech to assure the West Berliners that better relations with the Soviets didn’t mean compromising the security of West Berlin
Prague Spring
1968
The Czechoslovakia the leader was replaced by Dubcek.
There had been complaints at the poor living conditions, sluggish economic development and ignorance of needs in less developed regions
In April 1968 he launched the Action Programme (sweeping reforms)
- Freedom of speech, press, movement, debate and association
- End to arbitrary arrest
- Party members given the right to challenge policy
- Farmers could form cooperatives
- Recognised the state of Israel
Assured the USSR that Communists would remain the ruling party
Dubcek was made to resign
Brezhnev Doctrine
November 1968
The sovereignty or independence of the communist states of Eastern Europe was limited by their duty to the Soviet Union, the security of the rest of the Warsaw Pact nations and the preservation of their own ‘socialist system’
Detente
To ease hostility or strained relations between nations
Causes of Detente
Cuban Missile Crisis - closest the world has ever gotten to nuclear war Vietnam Settlement (US) - desire to get out of the war Counter weight to a hostile China (USSR) - wanted better relations with the US Economic Problems - stagflation: aim to reduce defence spending
Stagflation
Rising unemployment and rising inflation
- never seen at the same time
- normally rise in unemployment and decrease in inflation or vice versa
Strategic Arms Limitations Talks 1
November 1969 - May 1967
Began in Helsinki
Designed to curb new developments in anti-ballistic missile technology
The ABMs rose the possibility of there being a winner in a nuclear war
Talks not designed to reduce nuclear stockpiles
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
Signed May 1972
Limited the number of AMBs the county could have
Each county was limited to 2 ABMs sites with 100 missiles each
Washington Summit
1973
Brezhnev and Nixon signed the Agreement on the Prevention of Nuclear War
Aimed to provide a formal process the two superpowers and the allies could prevent a Cuban Missile Crisis scenario arising again
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
1973
An attempt to form a European security organisation which encompassed all European nations (NATO, Warsaw or neutral)
Helsinki Accords
1975
Signed at the Helsinki Summit
Also called the Helsinki Final Act or Helsinki Declarations
Viewed as a way of reducing Cold War tensions in Europe, increasing economic cooperation in the Soviet Bloc and promoting human rights
Provided a forum for the East and West to meet to resolve tensions and promote issues of common concern
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks 2
A series of negotiations between the USSR and US designed to limit the manufacture of strategic nuclear weapons
Significant as it aimed for reductions in the number of nuclear weapons possessed by each side
Banned new missile programmes
Banned the development of missiles that were 5% or better than existing ones
Limit strategic launchers
Neue Ostpolitik
1969
After the Social Democrats gained office in West Germany over the Christian Democrats they introduced a new policy
They believed improving relations with GDR would allow a controlled flow of people, goods and ideas to cross over east and possibly make them a more open society
The treaty renounced the use of force to settle disputes and recognised European borders
A similar treaty was later signed with Poland
He then moved to normalizing relations with the GDR and diplomatic relations were formed for the first time
