TOPIC 2 Flashcards
Fall of Khruschev and Rise of Brezhnev: 1964
October 1964: Khrushchev was overthrown and replaced as Secretary General by Brezhnev
- More traditional Communist leader
Prague Spring: 1968
Mid 1960s: Major protests and calls for reform took place in Czechoslovakia due to economic problems
1966: Student demonstrations showed criticism for the way the USSR controlled the economy
- Caused disagreement between the Czechoslovakian Communist Party and the Czechoslovakians the Slovaks
December 1967: Brezhnev announced that the learship of teh Czechoslovakian Communist Party should deal with the economic problems without Soviet interference
5th January 1968: Novotny (1st Secretary of the Communist Party), was removed and replaced by Dubcek
Dubcek wished to reform the communist system
- Censorship was relaxed and abolished in June 1968
Dubcek suggested that the Congress of Czechoslovakian Communist Party should meet:
- Introduction of self-management and workers’ councils in factories
- More freedom for trade unions
- More foreign travel to the west
- Creation of “interest groups”
Soviet reaction to the Prague Spring
Believed it was a threat to the USSR and Communism
- Felt it had to be opposed as it was the 1st step to leave the Communist bloc and become a western-style democracy
- Feared that other satellites would follow its example
July 15th 1968: Soviet leaders sent a letter to the Czechoslovakian rulers, warning that the reforms were unacceptable to the USSR
July 29th – 3rd August 1968: meeting with Dubcek in Moscow
- Dubcek agreed to issue a statement declaring that his government wouldn’t allow anyone to undermine Communism
Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
20th – 21st August: Soviet army of 29 divisions with 7,500 tanks invaded Czechoslovakia
- 80-200 Casualties
Soviet troops compeled Dubcek to go to Moscow
26th August: Dubcek accepted the Moscow Protocol, by which communist orthodoxy was to be restored in Czechoslovakia
September 1968: censorship law in Czechoslovakia
May 1970: Soviet-Czech Treaty was signed
April 1989: Dubcek was replaced by pro-Soviet leader Gustav Husak
- Expelled from the Communist Party
Consequences of the Prague Spring
USSR adopted the Brezhnev Doctrine - an attack on one communist country was an attack on all
- September 24th: USSR justified its actions and stated that the USSR wasn’t prepared to allow any communist country to abandon communism
Soviet invasion disillusioned communists around the world
Deteriorations in the Sino-Soviet relationship
- Disliked the way the USSR treated other communists
Opening of Nixon Presidency: 1969
November 1968: Nixon was elected President
January 1969: Nixon became President
He moved away from the USA’s traditional policy of Containment and encouraged Détente
- “Nixon Doctrine”
USSR and Détente
The ideological differences between Communism and Capitalism still existed
1960s/70s: USSR strengthened its capacity to pursue a more global policy
1980s: USSR was responsible for more than 30% of the world’s weapon export
US and Détente
Positive development: US-Soviet relations had moved from confrontation to negotiations
A share of the population had no or Little confidence in the USSR
Wanted to end the Vietnam War
SALT I: 1972 (Moscow Summit Meeting)
26th May 1972: Brezhnev and Nixon signed the 1st Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, which established:
- A Treaty on Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems
- An Interim Agreement and Protocol on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Weapons - 3:2 USSR:US
- USA and USSR were to have only 2 anti-ballistic missile sites
Opening of Ford Presidency: 1974
August 1974: Ford became President after Nixon resigned
Increasing opposition towards Détente
Vladivostok Summit: 1974
23rd – 24th November 1974: Brezhnev and Ford met at Vladivostok
- It was an attempt to prolong Détente after Nixon’s resignation
- The 2 sides agreed to move towards parity in numbers of intercontinental missile launchers: 2400 each
Parity wasn’t reached until 1985
Opening of Carter Presidency: 1976
1976-1977: Carter became President
US-Soviet relations under Carter deteriorated - Soviet government regarded a letter to Andrei Sakharov, a leading Soviet dissident as an example of US interference in international affairs
SS-20 Soviet Missile Crisis: 1977
1977: the USSR deployed a series of SS-20 missiles that fell outside of the SALT agreements
- They could strike any target in Western Europe
December 1979: summit NATO meeting
- The negotiations failed, which led to American medium-range missiles capable of attacking the USSR
1983: deployment of American missiles began
SALT II: June 1979 (Vienna Summit Meeting)
18th June 1979: Brezhnev and Carter signed it, which established
- A limit of 2400 on all types of strategic delivery vehicles for each country
o To be reduced to 2250 in 1981
- A limit of 1320 of MIRVs and bombers carrying long range missiles for each country
December 1979: USSR invaded Afghanistan
