Détente

Question 1

What was Détente?

Answer 1

Détente (a French word meaning release from tension) is the name given to the period of improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union that began tentatively in 1971

Question 2

Why did the USA and Soviet Union follow a policy of Détente?

Give 2 reasons

Answer 2

Both had internal reasons.

Nixon was elected as the president of the USA. The Vietnam war had killed 60,000 Americans and billions of dollars had been spent. The US government wanted to focus on social problems and inequalities, especially due to the urban riots in many US cities.

The Soviet Union was facing economic problems and wanted to cut spending on weapons so that it could try to improve living standards.

Question 3

What was SALT 1 and when did it take place?

Answer 3

The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty 1 signed in May 1972. It agreed to limit Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles, Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles and Anti-Ballistic Missiles between both countries.

Question 4

Give 3 areas of agreement that were set out at SALT 1?

Answer 4

SALT 1 agreed to:

• Limited the number of ICBMs each country could have (1,054 ICBMs for USA and 1,618 for the Soviet Union because the USA had more strategic bombers).
• Limited SLBMs to 740 each.
• It also included the Basic Principles Agreement that laid down rules for the conduct of nuclear warfare such as no warheads on the seabed.

Question 5

What were the Helsinki accords and when were they signed?

Answer 5

Signed in 1975, NATO and Warsaw Pact countries met to build on SALT 1 and make agreements on three areas.

Question 6

What three areas were there agreements about at the Helsinki accords?

Answer 6

• European borders
• International co-operation
• Human rights

Question 7

What was SALT 2 and when did it happen?

Answer 7

To build on SALT 1, talks towards SALT 2 continued until 18th June 1979.

Question 8

What were 2 agreements at SALT 2?

Answer 8

• Restrictions on missile launchers and strategic bombers were put in place.
• As well as a ban on testing or deploying new types of ICBM.

Question 9

What events during the late 1970s helped ensure SLAT 2 was a failure?

Answer 9

Some US politicians called for a stronger stance against the Soviet Union in response to an increase in Soviet support in countries such as El Salvador and Nicaragua. Also, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Question 10

What were 2 consequences of SALT 1?

Answer 10

• The symbolic importance of improving US-Soviet relations.

- Also, shortly after signing SALT 1, Nixon visited Brezhnev in Moscow, and in 1973 the Soviet leader came to Washington