7. Détente & Search For World Peace Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is Detente?
A period of reduced tensions between the USA and USSR during the Cold War, driven by nuclear fear and economic pressures
How did the USA improve relationships with China?
- 1971: US ping pong team invited to China — “Ping Pong Diplomacy.”
- US lifted trade embargo against China.
- 1972: Nixon visited China, first US president to do so since 1949 — helped isolate USSR and ease Vietnam tensions.
What were the terms of SALT I (1972)
- No further production of short range missiles
- Froze number of ICBMs each side could have
- Limited number of anti-ballistic missile systems
What were the terms of SALT II (1979)
- Proposed ban on new missile launch sites, voided by Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in 1979
- Banned building of new missile launchers
What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?
A USSR policy, they would crush any rebellion against communist rule in Eastern Europe, showed USSR not fully committed to peaceful change
What were the Helenski Agreements 1975?
- Signed by 35 countries including USA and USSR
- USSR accepted West Germany’s existence, agreed to respect human rights
- USSR later ignored this however
Why was the process of Détente ended?
- Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan
- USA saw this as expansion of communism, Détente ended, SALT II was dropped
What happened in Afghanistan in 1978
- A communist revolution overthrew the Afghan government, Amin in charge
- The Mujahideen rose up in rebellion and declared a jihad against the government
Why the the USSR intervene in Afghanistan?
- Soviet Union sent 50,000 troops into Afghanistan in 1979
- Assassinated Amin and installed a more loyal communist, Babrak Karmal
- The USSR wanted to stop the spread of Islamic fundamentalism, protect Communistic ideals and maintain influence in the region
Why the the USA view this USSR’s deployment in Afghanistan as a threat?
- USA saw it as an aggressive expansion of Communism
- Afghanistan was close to the Persian Gulf, a key area for oil supplies
- Violated détente and SALT I,II talks
What were some terms of the Carter Doctrine, 1980?
- Condemned USSR’s invasion into Afghanistan
- Refused to sign SALT II
- Gave weapons and money to the Mujahideen
- Boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics
What was Reagans approach to dealing with the USSR?
- Evil Empire Speech
- Openly attacked communism and the Soviet Union
- Called USSR the Evil Empire
What was the SDI (Star War’s Initiative)
- A plan to build a missile defence system in space, it would use laser’s to detect, track and destroy incoming Soviet nuclear missiles, known as a nuclear umbrella
Why was the SDI significant?
- The technology for the SDI didn’t really exist, mostly theoretical
- The threat alone was powerful as the USSR economy was weak, they couldn’t afford to match US space tech or spending
- Put huge pressure on the USSR
Who was Gorbachev?
- Last leader of the USSR
- Realised Soviet Economy was failing, communism had its limits
What were the 2 key reforms Gorbachev introduced and what do they mean?
Perestroika - Restructuring the economy
Glasnost - More openness, especially in media and public discussion
How did the arms race between the USA and USSR come to and end?
Washington Summit 1987
- Banned intermediate-range nuclear missiles
- Over 2600 nuclear weapons destroyed
START I Treaty
Reduced even more long range nukes
What did Gorbachev replace the Brezhnev Doctrine with?
- The Sinatra Doctrine, satellite states could “do it their own way”, without fear of Soviet Invasion
What happened to Germany in 1989-1990
- East Germany opened border crossings
- Crowds dismantled the Berlin Wall
- Germany reunited in October 1990 and joined NATO
What events led to the end of the cold war & the USSR?
Malta Conference 1989
- Bush Sr and Gorbachev declared the Cold War over
- Warsaw Pact countries left Soviet control
- Gorbachev resigned in December 1991
- USSR collapsed and 15 new countries emerged (Russia, Ukraine, etc)
What was the Tehran Hostage Crisis 1979-1981?
- Pahlavi (US-backed Monarch) forced to abdicated in Iran
- Islamic Fundamentalist, Khomeini, turned Iran into an Islamic Republic
- Khomeini saw USA as the “great Satan”
- Nov 1979, Iranian students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took 66 Americans hostage
- Demanded extradition of the Shah, in USA for medical treatment
- Carter refused, failed rescue mission humiliated the US
- 20 minutes following Reagan being sworn as president, hostages were released after 444 days of captivity
What was the US involvement in Iraq and the Gulf War?
- Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq, invaded Kuwait, claiming it was stealing Iraqi oil
- US feared Saddam might target Saudi Arabia, threatening global oil supplies
- Bush launched operation Desert Storm, a massive military coalition, with troops from the US, UK, France, Saudi
- Within six weeks, Iraqi army was defeated, Kuwait was liberated
