Renewal of Rivalry

Question 1

Failure of Detente

Answer 1

• Forged in the late 1960s, the period of Detente presided over a series of bi-lateral and multilateral agreements which facilitated the peaceful USSR annexation of the Baltic states (Helsinki Basket 1), arms limitations and greater economic integration.
• However, Detente was ineffective at ameliorating the ideological goals of the respective superpowers, with the USSR and US continuing to indirectly intervene in external sovereign nations to consolidate ideological goals, culminating in proxy wars which reinforced a relationship of distrust.
• The prevalence of proxy conflict in 1970’s provided a platform for both superpowers to indirectly achieve ideological goals, demonstrated in the 1975 Angolan Civil War and the 1976 Ethiopian civil and Ogaden war, where both nations funnelled support for ideologically aligned regimes.
• Adhering to the Marxist-Lennist view on global revolution, the USSR in conjunction with Castro’s Cuba, sent significant conventional military aid to marxist movements in both nations, while the U.S contravened the 1975 Clark Amendment–which restricted military aid to Angola–sending $31 million in aid to anti-communist militia groups.
• Soviet success in military intervention in Africa predicated an increased distrust and hostility between the two nations, culminating in increased military development, as SALT and other agreements were ineffective in slowing military development and conventional arms build-up
• SALT (1) agreements placed no limits or contingencies on the qualitative improvements to weapon technology, crucially no limit on modernising or replacing existing missiles to carry MIRV.
• This was signified by the U.S. development of 550 Minuteman ICBMs and 496 Poseidon SLBMs

Question 2

Afghanistan

Answer 2

• In accordance with the Brezhnev doctrine, the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in 1979 was a decisive enforcement of Soviet ideological doctrine
• Predicated upon the instability of the Soviet aligned Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the islamic fundamentalist Mujahideen, the USSR would send 80,000 soldiers to consolidate the stability of the soviet backed government.
• Established in the 1968 Prague Spring, the USSR’s intervention in Afghanistan symbolised a fervent implementation of the Brezhnev Doctrine which aligned with globalist Marxist-Leninism.
• Declaring in a speech to the politburo in December of 1979, Brezhnev asserted that, “We are obliged to help the Afghan people to defend their independence and sovereignty, to protect their socialist gains.”, which was reinforced by the Soviet’s decade-long, largely unsuccessful campaign which was estimated to have cost $50 billion.
• The invasion had significant implications on the rivalry with the united states, with Jimmy Carter deviating from the appeasing policies of linkage, and developing the ‘Carter Doctrine’ which was characterised by increased militarism, a more direct pursuit of U.S ideological goals and crucially, the end of Detente and future cooperation.
• In January 1980, President Carter withdrew SALT II before Senate consideration, recalled US ambassador Thomas Watson from Moscow and led a boycott of the 1980 Moscow olympics which included 66 other nations.
• In Carter’s State of the Union Address on January 23 1980, he proclaimed that the United States would use military force, if necessary, to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf, which was reinforced by the creation of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) to respond to military threats in the Persian Gulf and Europe, signifying the U.S heightened awareness of Soviet expansionism and a stringent approach to defending ideologically aligned nations.
• The Soviet Invasion incited 32% increase in U.S military spending in the 5 years from 1980, which in conjunction with the deployment of Pershing missiles and cruise missiles to Europe, would signal a return to military antagonism, culminating in a return to rivalry

Question 3

US Interests, Policies and Attitudes under Reagan –> renewal of arms race

Answer 3

• Reagan’s presidency was delivered upon the societal view on U.S public attitudes on Carter’s weak diplomacy compounded by the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis but also the prominent view that the Soviets had disproportionately gained out of Detente due to the appeasing policies of Linkage which was demonstrated in the 1975 Helsinki agreements ensured Soviet annexation of the Baltic states, but not the proposed protection of human rights in the third basket; facilitating Reagan staunch anti-communist ideology.
• Reagan infamous declaration of the USSR as an “evil empire” provided an insight into Reagan aggressive ‘peace through strength’ rhetoric, which was reinforced by assertive demonstrations of US military might and purpose, such as the Invasion of socialist nation of Grenada in 1983, and the 1986 bombing campaign of Libya, demonstrating a fervent enforcement of U.S policy and interests.
• Discussing Reagan’s foreign and military policy Beth Fischer highlighted that Reagan initiated “a large military buildup and rhetorical escalation that reignited Cold War tensions”, observed in military spending as a percentage of GDP rising from 5.3% in 1980 to 6.5% by 1986 and contributing in the the U.S navy growth to nearly 600 ships by the end of the 1980s.
• This increased militarism soured the relationship further and reintroduced a heightened state of threat, demonstrated by the September, 1983 Korean Airlines Flight 007 incident and the Soviet response to the November, 1983 Able Archer military exercises, which placed the Soviet army and nuclear forces on high alert, with the 4th air army in East Germany preparing for a nuclear strike.