TOPIC 3 Flashcards
Beginning of 2nd Cold War
1979 - 1980
- Fall of Nixon
- Limited success of Vladivostok summit
- Soviet deployment of SS-20 missiles
US position at the end of Détente
US influence and reputation were in decline:
- Vietnam War resulted in humiliation
- Overthrow of the Shah in Iran was a blow to American prestige
USSR position at the end of Détente
Increased power
- Established their influence in Africa and South Yemen
- Revival of pacifism
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: 1979
27th December 1979: Brezhnev committed Soviet troops to invade Afghanistan in support of its communist government. This was criticised
The Soviet military involvement failed:
- Communist government was unpopular
- Casualties: 15,000 Soviet troops were killed
- It cost the USSR $8 billion per year
Opening of Reagan Presidency: 1981
November 1980: Reagan was elected President
January 1981: Reagan became President
Reagan advocated for a strong line in foreign and military policy
- He sought to abandon SALT II + increase military spending
- He was anti-communist
Reagan’s Strategic Defence Initiative
23rd March 1983: announced SDI or “Star Wars” Project
- System of anti-missile defence to provide security against a nuclear attack
This scheme would have made the US immune from nuclear attack, while the USSR would continue to be exposed and vulnerable
This undermined the “balance of terror”
Soviet reaction
Soviets couldn’t ignore this American programme
Economically: they couldn’t afford to match the American scheme
Objective: persuade the Americans to halt the initiative when talks on arms limitations were resumed in March 1985
Arms Race
Soviets had 2/3 of their warheads on land based missiles - more accurate in their targetting
Americans had 2/3 of their warheads on submarines
The USSR was more powerful
US warheads increased in the 1950s-60s from 1000 to 18000
START Treaty: 1982
Strategic Arms Reduction Talks
June 1982: Negotiations - Unsuccessful
- Americans aimed cuts in land based ICBMs, where USSR was clearly superior
November 1983: American Perishing Missiles broke the talks
The nuclear arms race was thus resumed
