Why did detente end Flashcards
(5) Ronald Reagan
Campaigned against SALT talks which were focus of Détente
Even though SALT II had been rejected in 1980 Reagan violated SALT and the spirit of SALT II by developing new capabilities after military expenditure was increased to 13% in 1982
Inflammatory rhetoric such as calling it the ‘evil empire’ in a 1983 speech and talking about creating a strategy for a ‘winnable nuclear war’, placing IRBM first strike missiles in Europe, showed hate of SU and apparent willingness to go to war forced Soviet leaders to take hardliner approach to cover up inferiority
Support of Mujahedeen with stingers responsible for 350 air kills, proxy war= bad relations
SDI violation of 1967 outer space treaty and threatened MAD, created incentive for SU first strike as threatened one week after by KGB outlet
(6) Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
First time Red army outside satellites since WW2, used by right to gain support for anti-détente, therefore congress change of mind for SALT II and other détente legislature
Without threat to US oil interests in neighbouring gulf states US wouldn’t have been drawn into conflict meaning détente still possible
Unsettled geopolitical parity especially for resources, US had to act outside of peace process to attain= more involvement in middle-east (support of Iraq) instigating middle-eastern hotspot.
Failure of invasion made USSR look weak w/ 14,000, proof to Reagan that USSR was a declining power and possible to win cold war with excessive milt spending and SDI programme
Reduced international appeal of communism, global pressure to respond with action such as boycott of Olympics
Catalyst for the popularity of the anti-détente movement, strategic value caused hostility while failure justifies Reagan’s policies of aggression in order to defeat a crumbling empire
(4) Perceived weakness of the USSR
CIA dossier describes SU as ‘fundamentally flawed’, by 1980 USSR dependent of western grain supplies therefore US presidents knew they had leverage by shutting down trade so encouraged anti-détente stance
USSR still considered threat as in 1980 possessed 7,200 warheads capable of overwhelming ABM systems while 1981 CIA analysis judges the USSR to be deeply committed to ‘revolutionary violence worldwide’, threat and instability in USSR encouraged rapid end to cold war by ending détente and maintain pressure on SU economy
Otherwise unsustainable military spending of up to 7% of GDP per annum wouldn’t continue
Meant anti-détente was strategically viable and a possibility
(5) Conclusion Most important = Afghanistan
Allowed Reagan to be elected under his policies
Even if Reagan wasn’t elected Jimmy would have carried out anti-détente as he already had been shown by directive 58 to ban grain exports
Invasion failure contributed to perceived weakness of USSR
Without no majority pressure for anti-detente
Invasion the trigger and fundamental cause for shift in attitude
