The End Of The Cold War Flashcards
Detente
A period of peace between 2 groups that were previously at war,or hostile to each other
Involved developing missiles which could carry nuclear warheads into enemy territory.
Each country’s scientists worked to develop weapons that would give their side an advantage.
Detente
2
Both the SU and USA had enough long distance weapons to destroy their rivals.
With this firepower,the result of war would be ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’(MAD).
Neither country’s leaders wanted to risk a war which would lead to their own destruction.
During the 1970s,there was a genuine attempt to have a more cooperative and stable relationship and it’s referred as détente.
Why did the USA and the SU follow a policy of détente at this time?
In 1968,Richard Nixon was elected president of the USA.
Determined to take his country out of the Vietnam War,which had cost the USA billions of dollars and resulted in deaths.
There had also been big scale demonstrations against the war in the USA and Americans thought the USA should take a less active role in international affairs.
The USA also had many social problems.
Why did the USA and the SU follow a policy of détente at this time?
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Inequality between rich and poor,white and black,led to urban rioting on a big scale.
triggered by the assassination of the civil rights leader,MLK.
Would allow the USA to spend less money of weapons and more on trying to solve the social problems.
The SU was facing economic problems and wanted to cut spending on weapons and devote more resources to improve its economy
Why did the USA and the SU follow a policy of détente at this time?
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The Soviets also felt this was a good time to look for relations with the USA.
Felt that they were the USA’s equal in nuclear weapons capability and Vietnam War had shown the USA military wasn’t unbeatable
Improving relations and spending less on weapons would be a ‘safe’ policy.
SALT 1
This was known as the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty and was signed in May 1972.
Was a result of several years of hard negotiations between the USA and the SU about which weapons should be limited.
The Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty stated that ABMs were allowed at 2 sites and each site should have 100 missiles.
The Interim Treaty placed restrictions on the no of ICBMs and SLBMs each country could have.
The SU was allowed more ICBMs because the USA already had more strategic bombers.
SALT 1
2
The Basic Principles Agreement laid down rules for the conduct of nuclear warfare and set steps for avoiding a nuclear war.
For example,both countries agreed to exercise restraint in their relations and if war looked likely to avoid the risk.
SALT 1
3
It had a number of weaknesses.
It was unrealistic to expect it could be avoided just because the countries still owned more than nuclear weapons the destroy the other.
Was also true that the treaty didn’t cover the latest technological development,(MIRVs),carried multiple nuclear warheads.
SALT 1
4
It did have a significant impact on international relations and whatever its faults,it had major symbolic importance.
Both the USA and the SU wanted to reach agreement and wanted to demonstrate their better relations publicly.
The Helsinki Accords,1975
In 1973,33 nations from NATO and the Warsaw Pact met to build on the spirit of cooperation.
In August 1975,an announcement was made to say agreement had been reached in 3 areas,and described as ‘baskets’.
Basket 1 was very significant as this was the 1st time that the boundaries between EG and WG and the existing boundaries of the SU controlled countries were formally accepted.
The Helsinki Accords,1975
2
The spirit of cooperation described in Basket 2 was followed up that same year with a joint USA-SU Space mission.
It’s the high point of detente and seemed to mark the dawn of a new approach to international relations.
Even if drawing up the agreements,the USA and the SU were still,to some extent,playing Cold War politics.
What Brezhnev wanted from the agreement was recognition of existing borders and opportunity to boost the SU economy.
The Helsinki Accords,1975
3
The USA wanted an extension of human rights into SU controlled territories which would undermine communist authority
and weaken the power of the SU.
While the Americans were pleased with Basket 3 the SU were concerned that organisation would be set up to monitor SU policies in SS.
SALT 2
Included restrictions on missile launchers and strategic bombers,as well as a ban of testing.
In the USA there was a growing belief amongst both Democrats and Republicans that the SU government couldn’t be trusted.
There had been as increase in SU support for communist groups in countries such as El Salvador,Nicaragua and Angola.
Any agreement with the SU was seen by some Americans as a sign of weakness.
SALT 2
1
In November 1979,Islamic millitants captured the American embassy in Tehran.
American diplomats and families were publicly humilitated and more than 60 of them held hostsge for 444 days.
Many Americans wanted to see an end to détente and for America to restore its position as a strong nation that took strong measures.
SALT 2
2
Even within President Carter’s own administration,Brezinski called for a stronger stance to be taken against the SU.
Finally,in December 1979,the SU invaded Afghanisatan,bringing the period of detente to end.
When the SU entered Afghanistan,SALT 2 was going through the process of ratification by the USA government and President Carter felt he could no longer support the treaty.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan 1979
Why was the SU interested in Afghanistan?
This was viewed by the SU as an important neighbour.
In 1979,a revolution in Iran deposed the Shah and was replaced by a Muslim fundementalist government.
Formed an important buffer between Iran and the SU and Moscow was determined not to let Muslin fundementalism spread across its borders.
To protect SU interests,it was important to ensure there was a pro-SU government.
What was the Build up to the invasion?
In April 1978,a pro SU government took control in Afghanistan and received economic assistance.
It was toppled in September 1979 and at first,Moscow supported Amin,but his government became unpopular and other pro Muslim factions tried to overthrow him.
When Brezhnev heard rumours that Amin was talking to the USA about possible USA support,he decided to act.
What was the Build up to the invasion?
2
On 24th December 1979,SU forces invaded Afghanistan.
Claimed that they had been invited in by Amin to support his government against terrorists.
However,Amin was assassinated on 27th December and replaced by the pro-SU Babrak Kamal and the soviets remained there for 10 years,fighting opponents of Babrak Kamal.
Ther American reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
The SU invaded Afghanistan to protect its interest in a neighbouring state and saw the situation as the same to Czechoslovakia.
The Americans believed this was an example of the SU attempting to spread communism abroad,which they’d worked to resist.
Carter went as far as to claim the invasion posed the biggest threat to world peace since the end of WW2.
He withdrew the SALT 2 proposal from the Senate and increased spending on arms.
Ther American reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
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In his state of the union speech to the American people in January 1980 he said that the USA would repel by force.
This became known as the Carter Truman Doctrine and was deliberately modelled on the Truman Doctrine to show its importance.
Carter imposed economic sanctions on the SU and began sending weapons and funds to the mujahideen.
The impact of the invasion on USA and Soviet relations
Detente was already close to breaking up before the SU invasion of Afghanistan
Some historians argue that the Americans overreaccted to the SU invasion because they were looking of a way to get out of detente.
In the 1980 presidental election in the USA,Ronald Reagan ridiculed Carter as weak and and argued it was time to step up to communism.
This made confrontation more a certainity and helped bring about the election of a US president who believed communism was evil.
The Olympic boycotts
The SU used this to promote communism to big audience who watched it around the world.
It reflected the infleuce that the USA had in international affairs.
This was so effective that with many of the best athletes staying away,some events were made to look 2nd rate.
The SU was angrh that its chance to spread communism to the world had been ruined and relations with the USA worsened.
It was a huge moment in WW2 and relations were so poor even 4 years later when it was the USA’s turn,the SU led a boycott of the games.
What were Ronald Reagan’s policies?
His tougher approach towards the SU led to a period of tense relations and often referred to as the Second Cold War.
He described the SU as an evil empire and said the USA represented forces of ‘good’ in a speech to a Chrisrian group in 1983.
He persuaded the US congress to boost USA’s armed forces by upping spending on arms.In 1982,13% more was spent with a further 8% in 1983-84.New weapons were developed
For eg.Trident submarines and Stealth bombers
What were Ronald Reagan’s policies?
The Reegan Doctrine
USA wouldn’t only support anti communist governments,but also anti communist groups trying to overthrow communist governments.
Support was given to groups in Central American countries including El Salvador and Nicaragua.
US forces invaded the Carribean island of Grenada and toppled the communist government there.
He described this as the 1st rollback of communist influence since the Second World War.
