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Cold War > Rise and Fall of 'Detente Era' 1963-84 - Know It! > Flashcards

Rise and Fall of 'Detente Era' 1963-84 - Know It! Flashcards

1
Q

Name the 4 main causes of detente

A
  1. Distracted Superpowers
  2. Fear of Nuclear War
  3. Independent European Initiatives
  4. Soviet Economic Weakness
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2
Q

Explain why ‘Distracted Superpowers’ helped to cause detente

A

The US and USSR needed to stabilise relations in Europe because they were dealing with other conflicts:

  • The Sino-Soviet Conflict
  • The Vietnam War

The Soviets desired Western acceptance of their eastern Empire

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3
Q

How did ‘Fear of Nuclear War’ help to cause detente?

A

Because of the arms race there was now mutually assured destruction (MAD), and following the close call of the Cuban Missile Crisis - both sides willing to negotiate to avoid nuclear war

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4
Q

Explain why ‘Independent European Initiatives’ helped to cause detente

A

France and the FRG were less confident in the US’s desire to defend them, so wanted to assert their independence by:

  1. France left NATO and developed the European Economic Community (EEC) looking for USSR cooperation.
  2. The FRG desire to reunify with GDR through peacful means (Ostpolitik)
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5
Q

Explain why ‘Soviet Economic Weakness’ helped to cause detente?

A

Because of Khrushchev’s overspending, the USSR wanted/ needed to boost the economy by:

  1. Cutting the arms race
  2. Gaining access to Western consumer goods (get some butter in there)
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6
Q

What was the US’s aim for Arms limitation?

A
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7
Q

What has the period after the Cuban Missile Crisis up until 1975 been known as?

Why?

A

The ‘Long Peace’

Due to a stabilisation in relations that amounted to detente

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8
Q

Why, despite both being Communist, did the Sino-Soviet conflict occur?

What was the specific conflict and when?

A

Mao: Thought the Soviets were appeasers of capitalism

Soviets: Felt that the Chinese wanted to overthrow them as the leading Communist state

They fought the Sino-Soviet border conflict in 1969

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9
Q

To contain the spread of Communism from the North, what 2 actions had the US taken by 1966?

A
  1. Placed over 500,000 troops in South Vietnam
  2. Fought a bitter guerilla war with Vietcong fighters
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10
Q

What was the impact of the US’s guerilla war with the Vietcong on:

  1. The troops themselves?
  2. The US public?
  3. The US’s NATO allies?
A
  1. Troops: huge loss of life and morale
  2. Public: huge loss if support
  3. NATO: respect (they did not support the US’s actions)
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11
Q

What was the end result of the Vietnam War?

(Dates please)

A
  • 1972: The US pull out of Vietnam having failed to make significant progress
  • 1975: The South successfully invaded by the North (US lost)
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12
Q

How did the US, in 1972, exploit the Sino-Soviet split?

(Actions + effect)

A

1972:

  • US actions: President Nixon visited Mao and agreed to rapprochement in relations
  • Effect: Made the USSR seek improved relations with US (to avoid being ganged up against by other two superpowers)
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13
Q

When was the Test Ban Treaty signed?

What did it pledge?

Who signed it (3)?

Who didn’t (2)?

A

1963

Banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, underwater, and in outer space

Signed by:

  • USA
  • Britain
  • USSR

But NOT signed by:

  • France
  • China
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14
Q

When was the Non-Proliferation Treaty signed?

What did it pledge (2)?

Who signed it (4)?

A

July 1968

Pledged:

  1. Not to transfer nuclear weapons to other countries
  2. Not to assist their manufacture

Signed by:

  • USA
  • Britain
  • USSR
  • FRG
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15
Q

When was SALT (I) signed?

What did it pledge (2)?

What allowances did it make for the USSR

Who signed it?

A

May 1972

  1. Froze construction of missile launchers, SLBMs and long-range bombers
  2. They were only allowed two anti-ballistic missile screens ensuring MAD

The USSR was allowed more missiles as the US had more MIRVs that could hit multiple targets

Signed between US and USSR

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16
Q

When was SALT (II) created?

What did it pledge?

Why did the US never ratify it?

A

June 1979

Pledged further arms limitations

BUT the US never ratified the Treaty because the Soviets invaded Afghanistan

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17
Q

When did France withdraw from NATO?

A

In 1966

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18
Q

Why did France try to weaken the USA financially in 1966?

A
  1. In order to enhance national (French) prestige
  2. To end the ‘bloc’ mentality of the Cold War
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19
Q

What did France’s attempting to weaken the US financially almost lead to?

What was the actual result?

A

Almost led to a US withdrawal from Europe

BUT

President Johnson persuaded the Senate to maintain a presence due to his negotiations with Brezhnev over arms limitations

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20
Q

How did West Germany hope to achieve their long-term goal of reuniting with the East in detente?

A

Through Ostpolitik

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21
Q

Briefly define Ostpolitik

A

Recognising the division of Europe and post-war borders to gain better relations

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22
Q

Which two countries did West Germany set up trade missions with in pursuit of Ostpolitik?

A
  1. Yugoslavia
  2. Romania
23
Q

When was the Hamel Report signed?

What did it pledge?

Was it good for detente?

A

1967

It committed NATO to defending the West

BUT

Also committed tp reaching detente with the East

So yeah - good diplomatic compromising for detente!

24
Q

What official thing did the USSR create to try to stop satellite states from creating independent initiatives with the West?

Define it

A

Through the Bucharest Declaration:

Attempted to define what the whole bloc wanted from detente

25
Q

When did Alexander Dubcek become leader of the Czech Communist Party?

A

January 1968

26
Q

What was Dubcek’s vision for the Czechoslovakian Communist system?

A

Wanted to change the system to make it more democratic and indepedent of the USSR

27
Q

What was Dubcek’s programme for change called?

What did it entail?

A

The ‘Prague Spring’

Opened the door to westernisation

He also abolished censorship, leading to anti-Soviet propaganda

28
Q

What happened in Czechoslovakia on the 20-21 August 1968?

A

Twenty divisions of Warsaw Pact troop invaded Czechosovakia and ended the Prague Spring

29
Q

How did Brezhnev justify the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops?

What did this principle become known as?

A

The Brezhnev Doctrine

A threat to socialism in one country was a threat to the others - justified collective intervention

30
Q

When did Willy Brandt become Chancellor of the FRG?

A

1964

31
Q

What was Willy Brandt significant plan for foreign policy known as?

A

Ostpolitik

32
Q

How did Brandt gain support from other naitons for Ostpolitik?

A

By emphasising that he did not wish to quit NATO or the EC

33
Q

When was the Moscow Treaty signed?

Who was it between?

What did it declare?

(2)

A

August 1970

FRG and USSR

Declared that:

  1. They had no territorial claims
  2. The Polish frontier was ‘invoilable’
34
Q

How did the Moscow Treaty benefit:

  1. The USSR?
  2. The FRG?
A
  1. The Soviets had their Empire recognised
  2. Societs conceded that the FRG had the right to work for unification
35
Q

Briefly define the Warsaw and Prague Treaties?

A

Similar agreements to the Moscow Treaty except for Poland and Czechoslovakia

e.g. no claim to territory and borders ‘invoilable’

36
Q

When was the Four-Power Treaty on Berlin signed?

What did it pledge?

(4)

A

September 1971

Pledged:

  1. The USSR allowed unimpeded traffic between West Berlin and FRG
  2. Recognition of ties between West Berlin and FRG
  3. Recognition of the right of West Berliners to visit the East
  4. USA, UK, and France agree that West Berlin not legally part of the FRG
37
Q

When was the Basic Treaty signed?

A

December 1972

  1. The FRG recognised the GDR as an equal and sovereign state
  2. Both FRG and GDR represented at the UN
38
Q

The FRG insisted that it still considered people of the GDR to be ____ ____, and hoped that the magnetic ____ and ____ forces of the West would draw them across

A

The FRG insisted that it still considered people of the GDR to be German citizens, and hoped that the magnetic social and economic forces of the West would draw them across

39
Q

When were the Helsinki Accords signed?

A

August 1975

40
Q

What was in ‘basket one’ of the Helsinki Accords?

A
  1. Insistence on the peaceful settlement of disputes
  2. Insistence on the inviolability of borders
41
Q

What was in ‘basket two’ of the Helsinki Accords?

(4 bits)

A

Stressed cooperation in:

  1. Economics
  2. Science
  3. Technology
  4. The environment
42
Q

What was in ‘basket three’ of the Helsinki Accords?

A

Called for cooperation in:

  1. Humanitarian areas
  2. Cultural areas
43
Q

How did hardliners like Ronald Reagan see the Helsinki Accords?

A

As a ‘new Yalta’ accepting Soviet abuses

44
Q

How did some people see the Helsinki Accords in reference to the Soviet Empire?

A

As a ‘time-bomb’ at the heart of the Soviet Empire that was undermining it - the USSR unlikely to stick to human rights agreements

45
Q

How did the Soviets damage relations with the West in 1976?

A

By placing SS-20 medium range nuclear missiles in central Europe

46
Q

What happened in 1979 that spelled the end for detente?

And what US response destroyed detente (date)?

A

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

1983: US put Pershing and Cruise Missiles in Europe

47
Q

What stance did Margaret Thatcher take on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?

A

Same hardline stance taken by Reagan against the USSR

48
Q

The FRG and France were determined not to let the ____ ____ of _____ derail Ostpolitik

A

The FRG and France were determined not to let the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan derail Ostpolitik

49
Q

Where in Poland did strikes break out in the 1980s and over what?

A

In the shipyards of Gdansk

over price increases

50
Q

What did the 1980s strikes in the shipyards of Gdansk over prices increases lead to?

(2)

A
  1. The Polish government recognised the Solidarity movement as an independent trade union
  2. Membership of Solidarity rose to 8 million and it began to dismantle the Communist party organisation from within
51
Q

What was the US stance on the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland?

A

The US warned against Soviet intervention, saying the Polish should be left to sort it our themselves

52
Q

What did the US’s ‘let the Polish sort themselves out back off USSR’ stance on the Solidarity movement’s rise lead to the new leader Jaruzelski doing in 1982?

A

Gave Jaruzelski green light to declare martial law and in October 1982 Solidarity was outlawed

53
Q

How did the FRG try to maintain detente as all this Solidarity stuff was happening in Poland?

How did this compare to the US and UK?

A

Tried not to criticise the suppression of Solidarity - unlike US and UK

Cold War (26 decks)

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