The Development Of The USA (1929-2000) - The Search For World Peace Since 1970 Flashcards
What were the reasons for Detente?
USSR wanted access to to US technology
Keen to decrease defence spending
Vietnam War
Threat of nuclear war
What was the Helsinki Agreement?
Security - accepted existence of West Germany
Human rights - respect freedom of speech, movement
Cooperation - closer cultural, economic and scientific links
What does Detente mean?
A reduction in tension
What does SALT stand for?
Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty
What was SALT I?
In 1972, the first agreement between the superpowers to successfully limit the number of nuclear weapons they held. The production of strategic ballistic missiles was stopped. Submarines carrying nuclear weapons were to only be introduced when existing stocks of intercontinental ballistic missiles became obsolete.
What was agreed to in 1975 as part of the Helsinki Agreement?
33 nations agree to:
Security - recognition of Europes frontiers and USSR accept West Germany
Human Rights - respect of basic freedoms such as thought, speech, religion and freedom from unfair arrest
Cooperation - economic, scientific and cultural links - closer political agreement
What were the four terms of SALT II in June 1979?
Limit of 2400 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles
Limit of 1320 multiple independently targetable re entry vehicles
Ban on construction of land based intercontinental ballistic missiles
Lasts until 1985 when it will be reviewed
What caused US Senate to refuse SALT II?
Oviedo invasion of Afghanistan in Dec 1979
What does Ping Pong diplomacy refer to?
Detente
Changing relations between US and China
Who was the leader of China?
Chairman Mao Zedong 1949-1976
People’s Republic of China had been communist since 1949
Who was the leader of the USA from 1969-1974?
President Richard Nixon
“If there is anything I want to do before I die, it is to go to China”
What had the relationship between China and the USA been like?
Difficult relations since communist revolution in 1947
Nixon hoped Chinese could help end Vietnam War
He hoped to split USSR and China
Relations had worsened between USSR and China in the late 1960s and Nixon hoped to exploit this
What was Ping-Pong diplomacy literally?
US team invited to play in China
Americans see it as a low stakes sport
Dominates news, takes spotlight off Vietnam
What is the result of Ping Pong diplomacy?
Lift a trade embargo
Vietnam war ends
UN
Nixon goes to China, first visit by US President in 22 years
What made the Soviets get involved in Afghanistan?
Brezhnev wanted to show 30 million USSR Muslims that there would be no changes to how the USSR was run
Saw Islamic fundamentalism as a threat
Dec 1979 - Jan 1980 - sent 50,000 troops to protect PDPA in Afghanistan
Why did President Carter take such a firm approach with the USSR?
Saw it as a stepping stone to possible Soviet control of West’s oil supplies
Carter was under pressure after Iran hostages
Hoped to improve relations with China
Already seen as weak
What happened to create a crisis in Afghanistan?
On 27 April 1978 PDPA (communist) overthrew Afghan government
Nur Mohammad Taki becomes PM of Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
Traditional elite imprisoned, tortured and murdered, creating instability
Deputy PM Amin seizes power
Afghan Muslims declare a holy war on Amin (Mujahideen) using guerrilla tactics
What was Carter’s firm approach?
USA would use military force if necessary in the Persian Gulf region
Would provide military aid to Afghanistans border countries
Asked Senate to delay SALT II
USA cancel all shipments of grain to USSR and couldn’t send technology
US Olympic Committee boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics along with 61 other countries
What were Reagan’s beliefs?
No interest in detente
Called the USSR the evil empire
Believed that the USSR could be forced to disarm
What was the Strategic Defence Initiative also known as?
Star Wars Program
What equipment would the SDI involve?
Lasers
Space
Nuclear missiles
Sattelites
How would the SDI work?
Nuclear umbrella preventing Soviet bombs from reaching USA
Satellites with powerful lasers would intercept Soviet missiles and destroy them
It would render Soviet missiles useless, forcing them to disarm
Why did the SDI work?
Soviet leaders knew that they could not compete
They were behind USA in technology and didn’t have enough money
Deteriorated relations
What were the strategies under Gorbachev and Reagan?
Glasnost
Perestroika
Ended arms race with USA and signed agreements to do this
Stopped Soviet interference in European satellite states such as Poland
What was Glasnost?
Openness
Reduced censorship of the press and a general opening up of the Soviet state
What was Perestroika?
Restructuring to combat poor economic performance, the Soviet economy was remade to embrace elements of capitalism to make the economy more efficient
Why was 1985 a turning point?
Lower standard of living that was eroding confidence in the Soviet system
What happened in Poland in 1989?
Protests had been happening for years
Strikes and protestors had been supported by the CIA
By early 1989, elections were held and the Communist Party was not elected
What happened in East Germany?
East Germans had been fleeing to the West for years
In late 1989 Gorbachev tells East Germany that Soviet troops won’t put down East German demonstrations
300,000 protest in Leipzig
1 million in East Berlin
Berlin Wall opened
1991 Germany reunited into one country
What was the Final Collapse in 1991?
Soviet Union dissolved and divided up into 15 separate independent countries and Mikhail Gorbachev announces resignation
Russia was considered successor state and kept nuclear weapons
What was the Washington Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in December 1987?
Arms reduction treaty
Reduce arms possessed by either side in Cold War
Why was INF a success?
Eliminated all nuclear missiles with a range of 500-5500 km
Further than SALT I
Hundreds of missiles destroyed over next 4 years - inspectors make sure Treaty is respected
What are other examples of arms limitations?
Moscow Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE)
Reykjavik Oct 1986
Why was Saddam Hussein interested in Kuwait?
Oil
Money
Territorial (saw as part of Iraq)
Did not expect USA to get involved
Why did the USA and UN respond to Iraq?
Moral reasons and money
Why was Saddam allowed to withdraw with most of his army?
Mush was afraid that the Allies would lose support of other Arab nations
It was expected he would soon be overthrown because he was weak
How was Bush Sr’s reputation impacted?
Immediate reputation is high
Increasingly criticised for allowing brutal Saddam to remain in power
How had US foreign policy changed in the past 20 years?
Carter - detente (1970s)
Reagan - Second Cold War (1980s)
Mid 1980s thawing of relations
Late 1980s collapse of communism
USA became increasingly involved in Middle East after emergence of fundamentalism in 1990s
When was the Gulf War?
1990-1991
What was Operation Desert Shield?
Britain and other states sent forces to Saudi Arabia. Designed to defended Saudi Arabia and oil
What was Operation Desert Storm?
Air offensive to tear apart Iraq’s military infrastructure
What was Operation Desert Saber?
Ground offensive to liberate Kuwait
