SALT I, 1972

Question 1

What had Nixon decided to do early in his presidency ?

Answer 1

Talk about nuclear weapons
The move to détente and the idea of ‘linkage’ together with economic problems in the soviet unions made the idea of an attempt to limit the arms race quite attractive

Question 2

What had led to the SALT I talks ?

Answer 2

Talks held in both Helsinki and Vienna over a period of almost three years between the USA and the Soviet Union produced the first agreements known as SALT I

Question 3

When and what was SALT I

Answer 3

When: agreed in May 1972
What: strategic arms limitation talks I

Question 4

What was SALT I a marker of ?

Answer 4

A first major step in the direction of reaching positive goals

Question 5

What was put a downer on the talks ?

Answer 5

Strategic bombers were not limited and there were no restitutions on developing new weapons

Question 6

What and why was the treaty seen by many as ?

Answer 6

A key piece of nuclear arms control
- clear definition of the need to protect the nuclear balance

Question 7

What were the two major agreements of SALT I ?

Answer 7

• anti ballistic Missile treaty ABM systems allows at only two sites each containing 100 missiles, ABM systems were designed to detect, track and intercept attacking ICBMs
• interim agreement on Offensive Arms, imposed a fire year freeze on the numbers of ICBMs and submarine launched ballistic missiles

Question 8

What were the three major limitations of the SALT I agreement ?

Answer 8

1. Did not limit the number of strategic hombres which could bomb from long ranges, and the bombs that each side could have
2. No restriction on MIRVs
3. Each side was allowed to use satellites to check that the other was not breaking the arms limitations