end of the cold war: FP 72-89

Question 1

detente

Answer 1

process of easing tensions between US and USSR in 1970s.
-began after US defeat in vietnam -> realised containment would not succeed through military intervention
-under nixon US looked for peaceful coexistence with communist countries

Question 2

why did the US want detente

Answer 2

-slowing economy
-failure in vietnam
-domestic problems
-pressure from allies

Question 3

why did the USSR want detente

Answer 3

-overspending on arms
-trade with the west
-poor relations with china

Question 4

nixon doctrine

Answer 4

the US would stick to its treaty obligations but its allies would need to take care of their own defence: ‘no boots on the ground’

Question 5

US relations with china

Answer 5

1971 - (people’s republic of) China allowed to join the UN
feb 1972 - nixon visited china

-> fears of US-china alliance put pressure on soviets to negotiate

Question 6

nixon visits moscow

Answer 6

1974

Question 7

leonid brezhnev visits washington

Answer 7

june 1973

Question 8

SALT 1969

Answer 8

strategic arms limitation talks

Question 9

SALT 1 (1972)

Answer 9

strategic arms limitation treaty: put a limit on the number of ICBMs the two countries could have

Question 10

helsinki agreement 1975

Answer 10

signed by ford in 1975: USSR, US + 35 other countries agree to recognise borders in europe, trade soviet oil for US grain and improve human rights
-led to tension due to US criticism of soviet human rights record

Question 11

arab israeli war 1973

Answer 11

egypt + syria attacked israel in oct 1973. both sides supported by different superpowers
-test to detente however truce signed after 3 weeks

Question 12

carter’s policies

Answer 12

supported detente but put human rights at the centre of his policies -> cut US aid to govts with human rights abuses
-made SALT 2 negotiations very difficult

Question 13

invasion of afghanistan

Answer 13

USSR invaded afghanistan in dec 1979: US boycotted moscow olympics (1980), congress refused to ratify SALT II, grain sales to USSR stopped

Question 14

iran hostage crisis

Answer 14

1979, the shah overthrown by the islamic revolution. 52 americans taken hostage in US embassy and held for 444 days

Question 15

operation eagle claw

Answer 15

attempt to rescue hostages in iran, failed + left 8 US soldiers dead, no end in sight for the hostages

Question 16

1980 election

Answer 16

-carter looked weak + unable to make detente work
-iran hostage crisis major embarrassment
-lost 1980 election to reagan.
-negotiations followed + hostages released on day of reagan’s inauguration

Question 17

Mikhail Gorbachev (1985-1991)

Answer 17

-wanted to reform soviet economy + improve quality of life
-pursued policy of perestroika: restructuring economy to allow more private enterprise. actually worsened soviet economy (shrinking by 13% a year by end of 80s)
-glasnost: openness in society, encouraging free debate to generate ideas to improve society -> opened soviet system up to criticism + demands for democracy + freedom

Question 18

gorbachev’s foreign policy

Answer 18

-end war in afghanistan (drain on economy + lives)
-** refuse to use soviet army to maintain eastern european communist govts in power. would bring down all of these govts in 1989, when there were mass demonstrations across europe
-reduce arms race to free up money to fix economic + social problems

Question 19

nixon quote

Answer 19

‘after a period of confrontation, we are entering an area of negotiation’

Question 20

reagan quote

Answer 20

‘here’s my strategy on the cold war - we win, they lose’

Question 21

START 1982

Answer 21

strategic arms reduction talks -> failed

Question 22

reagan arms build up

Answer 22

equivalent of $550 bn yearly from 1981

Question 23

SDI

Answer 23

strategic defence initiative 1983 -> ‘star wars’

Question 28

reagan on MAD

Answer 28

MAD was ‘a truly mad policy’

Question 28

star wars

Answer 28

idea to create a missile shield of satellites, interceptor missiles + lasers to track + destroy any missiles launched from soviet union

Question 29

spending on star wars

Answer 29

projected to be between $100bn-$1 trillion

Question 29

INF 1987

Answer 29

intermediate range nuclear forces treaty, agreed between gorbachev + reagan
-agreed to remove all missiles from europe
-largest arms reduction of the cold war

Question 30

fall of the berlin wall

Answer 30

9 november 1989

Question 31

end of the soviet union

Answer 31

ceased to exist when gorbachev resigned on christmas day 1991