The end of the Cold War 1970-91 Flashcards
1.Attempts to reduce tension between East and West 2.Flashpoints 3.collapse of Soviet control of Eastern Europe
1
Q
What were the key features of the Outer Space treaty?
A
- between USA, USSR, Britain
- agreed no nuclear weapons would be placed in space by either superpower
2
Q
What were the consequences of Outer Space Treaty?
A
- reduced tensions
- stopped arms race spreading to outer space
3
Q
What were the key features of the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty?
A
- USA, USSR, Britain agreed neither would supply nuclear weapons to other countries or help them develop any
4
Q
What were the consequences of the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty?
A
- reduced tensions
- stopped superpower conflict expanding to other areas of the world
5
Q
What were the key features of the Apollo-Soyuz mission?
A
- 3 USA astronauts and 2 USSR cosmonauts met up in space to conduct joint scientific experiments
6
Q
What were the consequences of the Apollo-Soyuz mission?
A
- reduced tensions
- increased cooperation
- cooperation in space led to improved relations
7
Q
What were the key features of SALT 1?
A
- Strategic arms limitation treaty
- attempted to limit arms race
- Anti-ballistic missile treaty - only allowed on two sitesto protect nuclear balance - ensure neither immune to retaliation
- 5 years freeze on ICBM and SLBM (submarine) launches
- each side used satellites to make sure other side not breaking arms limit
8
Q
What were the consequences of SALT 1?
A
- reduced tension/risk of MAD
- improved relations as two countries negotiating limits to control nuclear weapons but both continued to develop weapons around treaty
9
Q
What were the key features of the Helsinki agreement?
A
- Europe’s borders recognised and USSR accepts existence of West Germany
- Calls for closer economic, scientific and cultural links
- agreed to respect human rights and freedoms e.g speech
10
Q
What were the consequences of the Helsinki agreement?
A
- increased cooperations
- positive talks on co-operation
- some countries e.g USSR did not stick to human rights agreements
11
Q
What were the key features of SALT 2?
A
- Limit of 2400 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles for each side (ICBMs SLBMs)
- limit of 1320 MIRVs systems for each side
- Ban on contruction of new land based on ICBM launchers
- Limits on deployment of new strategic offensive arms
12
Q
What were the consequences of SALT 2?
A
- showed both sides keen to reduce arms at some point
- Arms limitation talks, but not passed by US congress & senate due to soviet invasion of Afganistan but terms honoured till 1985
13
Q
What were the key causes of the soviet Invasion of Afganistan?
A
- April 1978 - communist revolution otherthrew government of Afghanistan. Taraki became president
- imposed communist style reforms, thousands of members of Muslim elite imprisoned, tortured or murdered
- Amin seizes power but continued instability due to anti-muslim policies
- Thousands join mujahadeen - declare jihad on Amin government
- Soviets increase military assistance
- Amin didnt want to become too reliant on USSR as wanted improved relations with US
- 30m muslims in Soviet Union - Brezhnev concerned over growth and spread of islamic fundamentalism, sent storng message soviet rule would not change
14
Q
What were the key features of the soviet Invasion of Afganistan?
A
- Dec 1979 - Jan 1980 - 50,000+ soviet troops sent to afganistan to restore order and protect PDPA from mujahadeen
- Dec 1979 - Amin shot and replaced by Babrak Karmal, supported entirely by soviets, many afgan soliders deserted to join mujahadeen
- Karmal government needed 85,000 soviet troops to stay in power
15
Q
What were the consequences of the soviet Invasion of Afganistan?
A
- Carter asked Senate to delay SALT 11
- US assistance given to Mujahadeen in afganistan
- War went on for 9 years, 15,000 Soviets killed and 30,000 injured
- Morale of soviet army hugely affected
- All US shipments of grain to USSR cancelled and US companies forbidden to sell technology to USSR
- USA and 61 other countries boycott 1980 Moscow Olympics
16
Q
What were the key features of the Carter Doctorine?
A
- Policy stating USA would use military force if necessary to defend national interests in Persian Gulf
- US promised military aid to all countries bordering Afganistan
- Rapid Deployment Force - quick strike military force could intervene anywhere at short notice
- draft registration of 18-20 year old men and for congress to allow CIA to increase intelligence gathering activities
17
Q
What were the consequences of the Carter Doctorine?
A
- turning point - relationship competitive again
- end of detente - potential militsry reaction to soviet actions in Persian Gulf
18
Q
What was the attitude of Ronald Reagan like?
A
- wanted win cold war
- despised communism, intended confront USSR where possible
- dismissed detente, said only benefited soviets
- less emphasis on human rights
- increase us defence spending
- wanted eradicate humiliation of vietnam war
19
Q
What was the second cold war like 1980-1988?
A
- new low for relations
- end of detente
- renewed arms race due to Reagans more agressive stance towards communsim
20
Q
What was Reagan’s defence policy like?
A
- increased spending to > $1 trillion including steath bombers, trident nuclear submarines
- NUTS - Nuclear Utilization Target Selection - believed could win limited nuclear war with soviets
- Zero option 1981 - Reagan proposed to cancel development of new US IRM to W. Europe if soviets dismantle comparable forces
21
Q
What was Reagan’s ‘evil empire’ speech like?
A
- described soviets as ‘evil empire’
- claimed cold war battle between good and evil
- new soviet leader Andropov - called reagan “insane” “liar” and compared him to Hitler
22
Q
What were the key features of SDI?
A
- ‘nuclear umbrella’ that stopped soviet nuclear bombs reaching us soil
- plan to launch satelites with powerful lasers in space that could intercept and destroy soviet missiles before caused US harm
- give USA advantage and increase chances of tactical nuclear war
- Reagan knew soviet economy too weak and lacked tech to continue arms race
23
Q
Why was SDI 1983 significant?
A
- intensified arms race
- strained soviet economy
- forced Gorbachev negotiate end of cold war
- Broke outer-space treaty
- end of MAD as gave USA protection
24
Q
What was Reagan and Gorbachev’s changing relationship like?
A
- 1984 Gorbachev new soviet leader
- Gorbachev more willing to cooperate and adopt drastic policies to improve relations
- knew soviet economy collapse unless armaments spending cut
- wanted to be savior of communism
25
Q
What problems ere USSR facing mid 1980’s?
A
- poor standard of living - not enough grain to feed
- Disaffected youth - desired western lifestyle
- spiralling cost of arms race
- massive dubget deficit
- behind USA with computer tech
26
Q
What was the 1985 Geneva confrence like?
A
- face-to-face
- personal relationship developed between leaders
- agreed to speed up arms talks and work towards abolition of chemical weapons, be more active on human rights - Reagan reluctant to give up SDI - no formol agreements on arms control reached
27
Q
What was 1986 Reykjavik conference like?
A
- Reagan proposed scrapping all ballistic nuclear missiles - Gorbachev unwilling - Reagan not agree to drop SDI plans
28
Q
What was 1987 Washington confrence like?
A
- INF treaty signed
29
Q
What were the key features of the INF treaty?
A
- eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-based ballistic cruise missiles with ranges of 500-5500km
- total of 2,692 weapons destroyed
- both nations allowed to inspect each other’s military installations
30
Q
What was the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe treaty?
A
- At Moscow summit 1989 more arms control talks and troop reductions in Europe
- Gorbachev peacefully agreed to withdraw troops from Afganistan
- led to CFE treaty signed by NATO & Warsaw pact representatives reducing number of tanks, missiles, aircrafts and non-nuclear military hardware
31
Q
What was Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (START)
A
- 1990 - START dicsussed by Bush and Gorb at Washington summit
- 1991 - Treaty signed to reduce strategic nuclear forced by 25-30%
- limit of 1600 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles and 6000 warheads, 4900 ballistic missiles
32
Q
What were the key features of Glasnost?
A
- openess
- censorship of press relaxed
- local government elections held
- dissedents released from jail
- banned books published
33
Q
What were the consequences of Glasnost?
A
- increased opposition across USSR and satellite states
- led to the breakup of the Eastern Europe and the USSR itself
- eased tensions - showed Gorb prepared to allow more freedom of speech across soviet union and satellite states
34
Q
What were the key features of Perestroika?
A
- restructuring
- economic reforms designed to make soviet economy more efficient, aspects of free economy introduced
35
Q
What were the consequences of Perestroika?
A
- increased capitalist elements in soviet economy
- frustrations - changes slow to take effect and problems too great
- improved relations
- internal opposition to gorbachev
- eased tensions and increased trade links
36
Q
What was the loosening of soviet control in Eastern Europe like?
A
- soviet economy couldn’t afford to have soviet forces across Eastern Europe, withdrawn - Gorbachev rejected Brezhnev Doctorine and replaced with Sinatra doctorine - gave warsaw pact countries freedom of political choice - soviet union wouldn’t intervene if non-communist government - Poland first to elect non-cocmmunist government
37
Q
What were the key features of the fall of Berlin wall 1989?
A
- over 1 mil in east Berlin were demanding democracy
- 9th Nov East German government announced would open border - people began to dismantle wall
- by 3rd oct 1990 West and East formally reunited
- 1991 new Germany joined NATO
38
Q
What was the break-up of the Warsaw Pact like?
A
- Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Albania, East Germany, Romania and Bulgaria all desposed communist government between 89-91
- military co-operation ceased in 1990 so Warsaw Pact no longer relevant and formally dissolved 1991
39
Q
What were the key features of the collapse of the soviet union 1990-1991?
A
- Events in Eastern Europe encouraged many nationalities and ethnic group in soviet union to break away
- Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania declared themselves independent
- Attempted overthtrowing of Gorbachev by hard-line communist who feared he was destroying Soviet Union - Gorbachev restored but lost authority - 1991 - Gorbachev tried to introduce new constitution Soviet republics more indepenced - rejected as wanted full independence
- 1991 - Gorbachev announced formal dissolution of Soviet Union split into into several independent states e.g Belerus, Ukraine etc
40
Q
What was the end of the cold war like?
A
- Officially ended 1989 and by 1991 USA only superpower left
- Gorbachev’s actions won him noble peace prize, policies reduced fears of
USA - Gorbachev and Reagn became personal friends and made significant agreements
41
Q
What were the main causes of the end of Cold War?
A
- INF treaty
- Removal of Soviet troops from Afganistan
- Glasnost
- Non-interference with Eastern European anti-communist revolutions
