The Rise and Fall of the Detente Era 1963-84 Flashcards
Name the 4 main causes of detente
Distracted Superpowers
Fear of Nuclear War
Independent European Initiatives
Soviet Economic Weakness
Explain why ‘Distracted Superpowers’ helped to cause detente
US and USSR needed to stabilise relations in Europe because were dealing with other conflicts:
- The Sino-Soviet Conflict
- The Vietnam War
The Soviets desired Western acceptance of their eastern Empire
How did ‘Fear of Nuclear War’ help to cause detente?
Arms race led to MAD, and following the close call of the Cuban Missile Crisis - both sides willing to negotiate to avoid nuclear war
Explain why ‘Independent European Initiatives’ helped to cause detente
France and the FRG less confident in the US’s desire to defend them, so wanted to assert their independence by:
- France left NATO + developed the EEC looking for USSR cooperation.
- The FRG desire to reunify with through peacful means (Ostpolitik)
Explain why ‘Soviet Economic Weakness’ helped to cause detente?
Because of Khrushchev’s overspending, the USSR needed to boost economy by:
- Cutting the arms race
- Gaining access to Western consumer goods (get some butter in there)
What was the US’s aim for Arms limitation?
Reduce the threat of their use
What has the period after the Cuban Missile Crisis up until 1975 been known as?
Why?
The ‘Long Peace’
Due to a stabilisation in relations that caused detente
Why, despite both being Communist, did the Sino-Soviet conflict occur?
What was the specific conflict and when?
Mao: Thought the Soviets were appeasers of capitalism
Soviets: Felt that the Chinese wanted to overthrow them as the leading Communist state
They fought the Sino-Soviet border conflict in 1969
To contain the spread of Communism from North Vietnam, what 2 actions had the US taken by 1966?
Placed over 500,000 troops in South Vietnam
Fought a bitter guerilla war with Vietcong fighters
What was the impact of the US’s guerilla war with the Vietcong on:
- The troops themselves?
- The US public?
- The US’s NATO allies?
- Troops: huge loss of life and morale
- Public: huge loss of support
- NATO: respect (did not support US actions)
What was the end result of the Vietnam War?
- 1972: The US pull out of Vietnam having failed to make significant progress
- 1975: The South successfully invaded by the North
How did the US, in 1972, exploit the Sino-Soviet split?
1972:
Nixon visited Mao and agreed to rapprochement in relations
Made the USSR seek improved relations with US (to avoid being ganged up on)
When was the Test Ban Treaty signed?
What did it pledge?
Who signed it?
Who didn’t?
1963
Banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, underwater, and in outer space
Signed by:
- USA
- Britain
- USSR
NOT signed by:
- France
- China
When was the Non-Proliferation Treaty signed?
What did it pledge?
Who signed it?
July 1968
Pledged:
- Not to transfer nuclear weapons to other countries
- Not to assist their manufacture
Signed by:
- USA
- Britain
- USSR
- FRG
When was SALT (I) signed?
What did it pledge?
What allowances did it make for the USSR?
Who signed it?
May 1972
- Froze construction of missile launchers, SLBMs and long-range bombers
- They were only allowed two anti-ballistic missile screens ensuring MAD
The USSR was allowed more missiles as the US had more MIRVs that could hit multiple targets
Between US and USSR
When was SALT (II) created?
What did it pledge?
Why did the US never ratify it?
June 1979
Pledged further arms limitations
US never ratified because the Soviets invaded Afghanistan
When did France withdraw from NATO?
In 1966
Why did France try to weaken the USA financially in 1966?
- In order to enhance national prestige
- To end the ‘bloc’ mentality of the Cold War
What did France’s attempting to weaken the US financially almost lead to?
What was the actual result?
Almost led to a US withdrawal from Europe
BUT
President Johnson persuaded the Senate to maintain a presence due to his negotiations with Brezhnev over arms limitations
How did West Germany hope to achieve their long-term goal of reuniting with the East in detente?
Through Ostpolitik
Briefly define Ostpolitik
Recognising the division of Europe and post-war borders to gain better relations
Which two countries did West Germany set up trade missions with in pursuit of Ostpolitik?
Yugoslavia + Romania
When was the Hamel Report signed?
What did it pledge?
Was it good for detente?
1967
It committed NATO to defending the West
BUT
Also committed tp reaching detente with the East
Good diplomatic compromise
What did the USSR create to try to stop satellite states from creating independent initiatives with the West?
Through the Bucharest Declaration:
Attempted to define what the whole bloc wanted from detente
How did Brezhnev justify the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops?
What did this principle become known as?
The Brezhnev Doctrine
A threat to socialism in one country was a threat to the others - justified collective intervention
When did Willy Brandt become Chancellor of the FRG?
1964
What was Willy Brandt significant plan for foreign policy known as?
Ostpolitik
How did Brandt gain support from other naitons for Ostpolitik?
By emphasising that he did not wish to quit NATO or the EEC
When was the Moscow Treaty signed?
Who was it between?
What did it declare?
August 1970
FRG and USSR
Declared that:
- They had no territorial claims
- The Polish frontier was ‘invoilable’
How did the Moscow Treaty benefit:
- The USSR?
- The FRG?
- The Soviets had their Empire recognised
- Societs conceded that the FRG had the right to work for unification
Briefly define the Warsaw and Prague Treaties?
Similar agreements to the Moscow Treaty except for Poland and Czechoslovakia
e.g. no claim to territory and borders ‘invoilable’
When was the Four-Power Treaty on Berlin signed?
What did it pledge?
September 1971
Pledged:
- The USSR allowed unimpeded traffic between West Berlin and FRG
- Recognition of ties between West Berlin and FRG
- Recognition of the right of West Berliners to visit the East
- USA, UK, and France agree that West Berlin not legally part of the FRG
When was the Basic Treaty signed?
December 1972
- The FRG recognised the GDR as an equal and sovereign state
- Both FRG and GDR represented at the UN
When were the Helsinki Accords signed?
August 1975
What was in ‘basket one’ of the Helsinki Accords?
- Insistence on the peaceful settlement of disputes
- Insistence on the inviolability of borders
What was in ‘basket two’ of the Helsinki Accords?
Stressed cooperation in:
- Economics
- Science
- Technology
- The environment
What was in ‘basket three’ of the Helsinki Accords?
Called for cooperation in:
- Humanitarian areas
- Cultural areas
How did hardliners like Ronald Reagan see the Helsinki Accords?
As a ‘new Yalta’ accepting Soviet abuses
How did some people see the Helsinki Accords in reference to the Soviet Empire?
As a ‘time-bomb’ at the heart of the Soviet Empire that was undermining it - the USSR unlikely to stick to human rights agreements
How did the Soviets damage relations with the West in 1976?
By placing SS-20 medium range nuclear missiles in central Europe
What happened in 1979 that spelled the end for detente?
And what US response destroyed detente?
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
1983: US put Pershing and Cruise Missiles in Europe
What stance did Margaret Thatcher take on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
Same hardline stance taken by Reagan against the USSR
What were the FRG and Francedetermined not to let derail Ostpolitik?
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
How did the FRG try to maintain detente as the Solidarity Crisis was happening in Poland in 1984?
How did this compare to the US and UK?
Tried not to criticise the suppression of Solidarity - unlike US and UK
What was the USSR’s aim for arms limitation?
Prevent the USA gaining an advantage
What were the economic improvements achieved as a result of detente?
- 1974-5 96% rise in West-USSR trade
- FRG support for Romania + GDR
- US reduce defence spending after Vietnam
What were the limitations to economic improvement under detente?
Jackson-Vanik Amendment stops US-USSR trade
Continued economic decline in USSR
COMECON
Weakness of eastern economy highlighted by poor conditions in Poland 1980-82
What evidence is there that US foreign policy led to the ‘new Cold War’ 1979-84?
- Carter highlighted human rights abuses creating instabilty in east
-
Reagan takes hardline‘Evil Empire’ stance
- Supports Solidarity 1980-82
- New arms race (SDI + Perishing 1983)
What evidence is there that Soviet policy led to the ‘new Cold War’ 1979-84?
- SS20s in eastern Europe 1976
- Invasion of Afghanistan 1979
- Shot down Korean pane 1983
-
Fear of US by ‘old guard’ Andropov + Chernenko
- Ineffective leadership
