End of Cold War Flashcards
1968
- Prague Spring
- Brezhnev Doctrine
Jan 1969
Nixon ushered in a period of detente
1972
- SALT talks started; Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty signed
- Nixon visits Beijing
1973
US withdrawal from Vietnam
1974
Nixon withdraws due to Watergate scandal
1976
Jimmy Carter becomes President; detente begins to stall
1979
Thatcher becomes UK PM
Dec 1979
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
1980
Carter’s State of the Union Address
1981
Reagan becomes US President - abandons detente, renewal of arms race + Hawkish hardline stance in first term
Mar 1981
US aids Contra rebels in Nicaragua
Oct 1981
Invasion of Grenada
Nov 1981
Reagan proposes zero option for all intermediate range missiles
May 1982
START talks begin but Soviets leave negotiations by end of year
Mar 1983
Reagan’s Evil Empire Speech
Nov 1983
USA stations Pershing II missiles in West Germany
“Able-Archer 83” is conducted
1984
Reagan pressured to take less aggressive stance - strength of Freeze movements forced him to be more open to armament cuts
Mar 1985
Gorbachev new leader of USSR - renounces Brezhnev Doctrine and resumes START talks
Jul 1985
Soviet unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests
Nov 1985
Geneva Summit
- established personal relationship and willingness for diplomacy and talks
- US refusal to budge on SDI and Pershing IIs long as SS-20s existed
- Despite lack of agreement, Gorby extended unilateral moratorium for another year as a show of goodwill and sincerity
Jan 1986
Gorbachev proposal of stage by stage arms reduction program
Feb 1986
Introduction of Glasnost and Perestroika by Gorbachev
Oct 1986
Reykjavik Summit
Feb 1987
Soviet agree to delink SDI from INF discussions, offering initial zero-option proposed by US
Sept 1987
US proposes double zero option
Dec 1987
Reagan and Gorbachev sign INF Treaty
Jun 1988
Moscow Summit
Dec 1988
Gorbachev announces de-ideologisation of Soviet foreign policy at UN
1989
Successive fall of EE Communist Governments
Nov 1989
Fall of Berlin Wall
Dec 1989
Malta Summit - declaration of end of CW between Bush and Gorbachev
Mar 1990
Reunification of East and West Germany
June 1990
Washington Summit
- 30% cut in nuclear arsenal
- Soviet troops in Europe withdrawn
Nov 1990
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe signed
Jul 1991
Signing of START I Treaty: Bush and Gorbachev
20 Aug 1991
August Coup
22 Aug
Coup fails; Gorbachev returns to Moscow
26 Aug
Rejection of Gorbachev’s attempt to preserve USSR
29 Aug
Gorbachev forced to step down as head of CSPU, which dissolves nevertheless
25 Dec 1991
Gorbachev resigns and USSR dissolves
May 1986
Reagan - US no longer bound by SALT II, accuses USSR of violating SALT II for developing ICBMs
- Gorby offered to negotiate on reducing medium range missiles in Asia and Europe + pledged to negotiate significant conventional force reductions, facilitating INF talks and allaying Western fears + portraying USSR commitment to disarmament and peace
