Détente - Salt 1 Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. Flashcards
Who signed the salt 1 agreement?
President Nixon & Brezhnev
What was agreed at Détente?
- The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treatystated that ballistic missiles wereonly allowed on two military sites and a maximum of 100 missiles were allowed.
- The Interim (short term) Treatyput a restriction on the number of long range missiles called ICBMs (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles) that each side was allowed.
- The Basic Principles AgreementWas a set of rules aboutwhere missiles could
be placed. E.g., no nuclear missiles were allowed on submarines or on the seabed.
The negative impacts of salt 1?
• In reality, if war broke out, it was unlikely that both sides would stick to the agreement just because they had signed a piece of paper.
• Both sides still owned enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other anyway.
• The SALT treaty did not include even newer nuclear technology such as missiles
which could carry more than one nuclear warhead on a single missile.
The positive impacts of salt 1?
• It showed that both sides were willing to negotiate and seek détente.
• It showed that both sides wanted to reduce the likelihood of war.
• It was a major symbolic importance and publically demonstrated that both sides
wanted peace.
• After signing SALT 1, President Nixon visited the Soviet leader Brezhnev in
Moscow in 1972. In 1973, Brezhnev then visited the USA. In 1974 negotiations started for SALT 2.
Why did both sides follow the policies of Détente? (MAD)
A threat of Mutually Assured Destruction M.A.D.
❑ During the 1960s, events such as the building of the Berlin Wall, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis & the Prague Spring, had brought the two sides close to war.
❑ Both sides had developed enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other. It was a worry that if war did break out, the results would be complete destruction. This was known as Mutually Assured Destruction or MAD.
❑ Both sides agreed that a nuclear war was too much of a risk and so tried their best to avoid this by the 1970s.
Why did both sides follow the policies of Détente? (Public Pressure)
Public Pressure for Peace in the USA
❑ The USA had been involved in the Vietnam War. It had cost billions of dollars and the death of over 60,000 American soldiers. There were mass protests against the war all over America and the West.
❑ President Nixon gave in to this public pressure, he believed the public would react strongly against any nuclear war which risked the lives of more US soldiers.
Why did both sides follow the policies of Détente? (Money and Time)
More money and time to solve social issues
❑ America had vast social problems such as inequality between blacks and whites. Black Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther Kingwas assassinated in 1968. A policy of détente would allow the USA more money and time to help people in their own country.
❑ The Soviet Unionhad very poor living standards and there was increasing pressure from the people living there to improve this rather than spend money building more weapons.
Why did both sides follow the policies of Détente? (Pressure of Germany)
Pressure from West Germany
❑ There was pressure for Détente on both sides from the leader of West Germany calledWilly Brandt. He publically called for abetter relationship between East and West Germany as well as America and the Soviet Union.
❑ This pressure from Willy Brandt was called ‘Ostpolitik’.
❑ Willy Brandt had huge influence over the decisions made by the USA and the USSR
