Unit 3.1 - Detente

Question 1

What does Detente mean?

Answer 1

Refers to a reduction in tension.

Question 2

Detente was a period of…

Answer 2

peace between the Soviets and the US - refers to a period of peace between nations that were previously at war or hostile to each other.

Question 3

Reasons for detente: The Cuban missile crisis

Answer 3

The Cuban Missile Crisis had shown that both sides communicating achieved much more than threatening each other - The new ‘hotline’’s success proved this.

Question 4

Reasons for detente: Nuclear Warheads were expensive

Answer 4

Building and maintaining nuclear weaponry was very expensive.

The 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty showed that cooperation could help them to achieve this.

Question 5

Reasons for detente: Vietnam War and Communism

Answer 5

The US wanted to focus on ending the Vietnam War.

US intervention in Vietnam had failed to contain communism. Therefore, if the US improved its relations with the Soviet Union, it could help the US to negotiate a withdrawal.

President Richard Nixon visited Brezhnev in Moscow 1972.

Question 6

Reasons for detente: China and the Soviet Union

Answer 6

President Nixon was keen to improve relations with China as well as with the Soviet Union, as he hoped to prevent the two other countries from forming an anti-American communist alliance.

Question 7

Reasons for detente: OSTPOLITIK and Brandt

Answer 7

There was also pressure for improved relations from Europe.

In 1969, Brandt, the chancellor of West Germany followed a policy of ‘OSTPOLITIK’ which involved building better relations between East and West Germany.

Other European nations followed his lead and began establishing better relations with Eastern European countries.

Question 8

Reasons for detente: Socio-economic problems in the nations

Answer 8

• The US needs to address social problems that led to large-scale rioting in 1968.
• Soviet Union: Poor living standards and economy is not developing.

Question 9

SALT 1 = Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty

Answer 9

1. The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty stated that BMs were allowed at only two sites.
   Each site could have max. 100 missiles.
2. The Interim Treaty placed restriction on the number of ICBMs each country could have.
3. The Basic Principles Agreement laid down the rules for the conduct of nuclear warfare and set out steps for avoiding nuclear war.

Question 10

SALT 1 weaknesses:

Answer 10

1. A piece of signed paper did not mean that the risk of nuclear war was eliminated.
2. Did not cover the latest technological development MIRVs, which was far mroe destructive than any other nuclear war - carried multiple nuclear warheads on a single missile.

Question 11

SALT 1 did have a significant impact on international relations and a major symbolic importance…

Answer 11

In 1974: negotiations began for SALT 2 in which matters unsolved in SALT 1 could be agreed on.

Question 12

SALT 2 1975-79
President CARTER for the US and President BREZHNEV

Answer 12

The powers signed a highly complex agreement that included restrictions on missile launchers and strategic bombers, as well as a ban on testing or using new types of ICBMs and MIRVs

Question 13

THE HELSINKI ACCORDS 1975
US president? Soviet leader?

Answer 13

President Nixon

Brezhnev

Question 14

Who agreed to the Helsinki Accords?

Answer 14

33 nations from NATO and the Warsaw Pact

Question 15

What were the Helsinki Accords ‘baskets’?

Answer 15

1. Security
2. Cooperation
3. Human Rights

Question 16

Helsinki Accords: Security

Answer 16

Recognition of Europe’s frontiers

Soviet Union accepted the existence of West Germany

Question 17

Helsinki Accords: Cooperation

Answer 17

There was a call for closer economic, scientific and cultural links - these would lead to even closer political agreement.

Also, arranged for a joint US - Soviet space mission.

Question 18

Helsinki Accords: Human Rights

Answer 18

each signatory agreed to respect human rights and basic freedoms such as thought, speech, religion and freedom from unfair arrest.

Question 19

Helsinki Accords Agreements

Answer 19

1. Countries borders cannot and should not be altered by force i.e. the US won’t have to worry about communist invasions and the USSR can keep the satellite states.
2. East and West would continue to work together, including on trade, technology and a joint USA-USSR space mission i.e. reduces tensions and positive technological developments made possible due to cooperation.
3. Human rights across Europe should be respected: USA can undermine Soviet authority and weaken the power of the USSR/ The Soviets were concerned that organisations would be set up to monitor Soviet policies in its satellite states, undermining their power.