the cold war 1972-1991 Flashcards
what were attempts to reduce tension between the east and west
After the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War, the 1970s saw the USA, the USSR and China making an effort to improve relations. This led to a period known as détente, a word meaning the relaxing of tension
The arms race was expensive: realisation that money for nuclear weapons would be better spent to improve living conditions at home.
The new US President, Richard Nixon, knew war in Vietnam needed to end. (The USA would leave Vietnam in 1974).
relationship between the USSR and China, world’s most important communist nations, soured. ( Sino-Soviet split.) For the USA it was easier to establish diplomatic relations with China. Nixon made a visit to China in 1972, he was trying to improve relations and US dropped its objection to China joining the United Nations. Nixon hoped Chinese would help push North Vietnamese to a resolution in Vietnam.
In 1972 (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) was signed by Nixon and the Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev.
The agreement restricted the (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) both sides could have, but was criticised by for not limiting the production of new nuclear weapons.
In 1975 American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts met and symbolically shook hands in space.
In 1975, the Helsinki Agreement was signed by 35 countries including the USA and the USSR. countries were signing up to recognise the European borders established after WW2 as well as basic human rights such as freedom of speech. This effectively meant that the Western Allies recognised Soviet control over Eastern Europe. It also meant that, after decades of communist dictatorship, the Soviet Union had signed up to a basic human rights agreement.
what were attempts to reduce tension between the east and west
After the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War, the 1970s saw USA, USSR and China making effort to improve relations. - led to a period known as détente, meaning the relaxing of tension
The arms race was expensive: realisation that money for nuclear weapons should be spent to improve living conditions at home.
Nixon knew war in Vietnam needed to end. (The USA would leave Vietnam in 1974).
relationship between the USSR and China, soured. ( Sino-Soviet split.)
For USA it was easier to establish diplomatic relations with China. Nixon made visit to China in 1972, he was trying to improve relations and US dropped objection to China joining the United Nations. Nixon hoped Chinese would help push North Vietnamese to a resolution in Vietnam.
In 1972 (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) was signed by Nixon and the Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev.
The agreement restricted the (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) both sides could have, but was criticised by for not limiting the production of new nuclear weapons.
In 1975 American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts met and symbolically shook hands in space.
In 1975, the Helsinki Agreement signed by 35 countries including the USA and the USSR. countries were signing up to recognise the European borders established after WW2 and basic human rights such as freedom of speech.= meant Western Allies recognised Soviet control over Eastern Europe. also meant, after communist dictatorship, the Soviet Union had signed up to a basic human rights agreement.
how did the relations worsen
In 1977, a new US President, Jimmy Carter, entered White House. he was a Democrat and had a different view on the USA’s foreign relations and place in the world, and he criticised USSR for human rights abuses.
Between 1977 and 1979 USSR replaced out-of-date nuclear missiles in Eastern Europe with SS-20 missiles. These were new type of battlefield nuclear weapon, leading many in the West to believe that the Soviets had not abandoned the idea of nuclear war or expansionism in Europe.
The USA responded by developing Cruise Missiles and deploying its own battlefield nuclear weapons to Europe.
With the arms race apparently on again, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979,
there was a second agreement of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, because the USSR had broken its commitment to limiting the creation of new nuclear weapons.
explain the soviet invasion of afghanistan in 1979
why did the ussr invade afghanistan
Afghanistan bordered some southern Soviet republics of the USSR, made it easy for Moscow to support a communist-led government led by Taraki when it seized power in Kabul in April 1978.
ordinary Afghans rejected the new communist government because its atheism was at odds with their Muslim faith. The communists imprisoned, tortured and murdered many Muslim religious leaders. This led to the formation of an anti-communist resistance movement known as the Mujahideen.
In September 1979 the Afghan politician, Amin, arranged for the murder of the communist Prime Minister, Taraki, and Amin seized control. Amin entered into discussions with the US.
This alarmed the USSR who didn’t want American influence on their Southern border. On 24 December 1979, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan. Amin was assassinated and a pro-Moscow leader, Babrak Karmal, was installed in his place.
what were challenges faced by the soviet army in afghanistan
The Soviet Red Army was ill-prepared for the desert and mountain landscapes of Afghanistan.
The Mujahideen had expert local knowledge and used the deserts and mountainous terrain to their advantage.
The Mujahideen were extremely motivated as they were fighting for their homeland and their religion against a foreign invader.
what was the american response to afghanistan
the US supported the Mujahideen against their old enemy, the USSR, and refused to sign SALT II.
The Carter Doctrine: believing that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan might lead to threats to US interests in the Persian Gulf, in January 1980 the US President, Jimmy Carter, announced that the US was extending its policy of containment to the Middle East.
The Carter Doctrine stated that the USA was prepared to use force to stop countries from gaining control over the oil rich states of the Middle East.
Alongside this, Carter formed an alliance with China and Israel to support the Mujahideen rebels against the USSR, and the CIA secretly provided the Mujahideen with weapons and funds.
The USA also put economic sanctions on the Soviet Union and abolished most US-Soviet trade, which led to deterioration in diplomatic relations between the superpowers.
In 1980 the USA boycotted the Moscow Olympics in protest at the invasion of Afghanistan. The USSR would return the favour by boycotting the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles!
how did the war in afghanistan end
Afghanistan became the Soviet Union’s Vietnam: an expensive, embarrassing war with little hope of victory, where they were beaten by local guerrilla forces.
It dragged on until 1988 when the Soviet leader, who by then was Mikhail Gorbachev, signed a deal to end the war and the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989.
who was ronald reagan
In 1980 Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States Reagan was a committed Republican and anti-communist who referred to the Soviet Union as ‘that evil empire’.
Reagan increased US defence spending by $32.6 billion and planned to spend it on:
The Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), nicknamed ‘Star Wars’ after the popular film, was a plan to create a system using satellites and lasers to shoot down any missiles that might be launched by the USSR against the USA. (in usa’s favour)
The US military developed a neutron bomb. The Soviet Union described the neutron bomb as ‘a capitalist weapon’ because it was designed to destroy people while leaving their property intact. While the USSR did not have a neutron bomb of its own, it did upgrade the armour on its tanks and armoured personnel carriers in order to deal with the threat.
The Soviet Union’s economy was struggling and the cost of matching such a programme was too high. They were also very suspicious of computer-technology that was required to support such a programme and had not invested in it. SDI was the final straw breaker – the USSR could no longer afford to keep up with America in the arms race.
who was mikhail gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR in 1985. Under his leadership, USSR began to reform. Gorbachev was a new leader and relatively inexperienced. He did not speak kindly of Reagan at first, calling him a ‘caveman’. However, several things were about to have a major impact on the superpower relationship:
Gorbachev famously got on with world leaders – Margaret Thatcher said: I like Mr Gorbachev, we can do business together. =made it easier for the superpowers to maintain diplomatic talks.= enthusiastic reaction to Gorbachev’s arrival in many Western countries
explain the chernobyl disaster
April 1986, the Ukrainian nuclear power plant at Chernobyl went into meltdown and exploded.
Gorbachev approved a cover up that denied there had been any radiation leak but it was clear to Western powers there had been.
The cost of containing and decontaminating the area was an estimated eighteen million roubles and almost bankrupted the USSR.
Chernobyl was a powerful symbol of problems in communism.
Realising the USSR could never out-spend the USA, Gorbachev began to cut spending on nuclear weapons. He initiated the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) with the USA and in 1987 signed a deal to limit the production of Intermediate Range Nuclear Missiles.
what was the geneva summit of november 1985
between reagan and gorbachev
-Both sides wanted to talk peace. Gorbachev hoped to persuade Reagan to drop plans for SDI.
what was the Reykjavik Summit, October 1986
Reagan and Gorbachev
Reagan wanted to get rid of all ballistic nuclear missiles – Gorbachev refused if SDI not dropped
what was the INF treaty, Washington, December 1987
Reagan and Gorbachev
The Treaty agreed to the elimination all nuclear missiles with a range between 500-5500 km. Stockpiles started to be reduced. Gorbachev knew he didn’t have the money, or defensive reason, to disagree anymore.
what was the Malta Summit, 1989
Bush and Gorbachev
Initial discussion about the CFE and START I agreements.
what was CFE agreement, 1990
Bush and Gorbachev
Limited the amount of non-nuclear forces NATO and Warsaw Pact could have in Europe
