The Development Of The USA (1929-2000) - The Search For World Peace Since 1970

Question 1

What were the reasons for Detente?

Answer 1

USSR wanted access to to US technology
Keen to decrease defence spending
Vietnam War
Threat of nuclear war

Question 2

What was the Helsinki Agreement?

Answer 2

Security - accepted existence of West Germany
Human rights - respect freedom of speech, movement
Cooperation - closer cultural, economic and scientific links

Question 3

What does Detente mean?

Answer 3

A reduction in tension

Question 4

What does SALT stand for?

Answer 4

Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty

Question 5

What was SALT I?

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

What was agreed to in 1975 as part of the Helsinki Agreement?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What were the four terms of SALT II in June 1979?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What caused US Senate to refuse SALT II?

Answer 8

Oviedo invasion of Afghanistan in Dec 1979

Question 9

What does Ping Pong diplomacy refer to?

Answer 9

Detente
Changing relations between US and China

Question 10

Who was the leader of China?

Answer 10

Chairman Mao Zedong 1949-1976
People’s Republic of China had been communist since 1949

Question 11

Who was the leader of the USA from 1969-1974?

Answer 11

President Richard Nixon
“If there is anything I want to do before I die, it is to go to China”

Question 12

What had the relationship between China and the USA been like?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What was Ping-Pong diplomacy literally?

Answer 13

US team invited to play in China
Americans see it as a low stakes sport
Dominates news, takes spotlight off Vietnam

Question 14

What is the result of Ping Pong diplomacy?

Answer 14

Lift a trade embargo
Vietnam war ends
UN
Nixon goes to China, first visit by US President in 22 years

Question 15

What made the Soviets get involved in Afghanistan?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Why did President Carter take such a firm approach with the USSR?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What happened to create a crisis in Afghanistan?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

What was Carter’s firm approach?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

What were Reagan’s beliefs?

Answer 19

No interest in detente
Called the USSR the evil empire
Believed that the USSR could be forced to disarm

Question 20

What was the Strategic Defence Initiative also known as?

Answer 20

Star Wars Program

Question 21

What equipment would the SDI involve?

Answer 21

Lasers
Space
Nuclear missiles
Sattelites

Question 22

How would the SDI work?

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Why did the SDI work?

Answer 23

Soviet leaders knew that they could not compete
They were behind USA in technology and didn’t have enough money
Deteriorated relations

Question 24

What were the strategies under Gorbachev and Reagan?

Answer 24

Glasnost
Perestroika
Ended arms race with USA and signed agreements to do this
Stopped Soviet interference in European satellite states such as Poland

Question 25

What was Glasnost?

Answer 25

Openness
Reduced censorship of the press and a general opening up of the Soviet state

Question 26

What was Perestroika?

Answer 26

Restructuring to combat poor economic performance, the Soviet economy was remade to embrace elements of capitalism to make the economy more efficient

Question 27

Why was 1985 a turning point?

Answer 27

Lower standard of living that was eroding confidence in the Soviet system

Question 28

What happened in Poland in 1989?

Answer 28

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

Question 29

What happened in East Germany?

Answer 29

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

Question 30

What was the Final Collapse in 1991?

Answer 30

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

Question 31

What was the Washington Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in December 1987?

Answer 31

Arms reduction treaty
Reduce arms possessed by either side in Cold War

Question 32

Why was INF a success?

Answer 32

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

Question 33

What are other examples of arms limitations?

Answer 33

Moscow Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE)
Reykjavik Oct 1986

Question 34

Why was Saddam Hussein interested in Kuwait?

Answer 34

Oil
Money
Territorial (saw as part of Iraq)
Did not expect USA to get involved

Question 35

Why did the USA and UN respond to Iraq?

Answer 35

Moral reasons and money

Question 36

Why was Saddam allowed to withdraw with most of his army?

Answer 36

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

Question 37

How was Bush Sr’s reputation impacted?

Answer 37

Immediate reputation is high
Increasingly criticised for allowing brutal Saddam to remain in power

Question 38

How had US foreign policy changed in the past 20 years?

Answer 38

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

Question 39

When was the Gulf War?

Answer 39

1990-1991

Question 40

What was Operation Desert Shield?

Answer 40

Britain and other states sent forces to Saudi Arabia. Designed to defended Saudi Arabia and oil

Question 41

What was Operation Desert Storm?

Answer 41

Air offensive to tear apart Iraq’s military infrastructure

Question 42

What was Operation Desert Saber?

Answer 42

Ground offensive to liberate Kuwait