Arms limitation

Question 1

Moscow Test ban treaty

Answer 1

1963
- prohibited nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, underwater and in the atmosphere.
- laid foundation for future arms limitations.
- Didn’t ban underground testing

Question 2

Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons

Answer 2

1968
- Nuclear weapon states eg China, USSR and USA, UK, France agreed not to transfer nuclear weapons to non-nuclear states
- Allowed states to continue to use nuclear technology for non-military purposes.

Question 3

Arms Limitations talks

Answer 3

1969

Question 4

Anti-Ballistic missile treaty

Answer 4

1972
- The Treaty permits each side to have one limited ABM system to protect its capital and another to protect an ICBM launch area. The treaty allowed the USA and the Soviet Union to have 100 ABMs across two sites

• The ABM Treaty was a limited treaty, focusing on specific aspects of arms control. It did not address all aspects of nuclear weapons development such as MIRVs.
• Helped maintain ‘MAD’

Question 5

Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic offensive arms

Answer 5

1972
- Part of SALT I
- The Interim Agreement froze each nation’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) levels for five years.
- The treaty allowed the USA to have around 1,000 ICBMs and 740 SLBMs
- As the USA possessed more strategic bombers, the Soviet Union could have over 1,600 ICBMs and 740 SLBMs
- Still needed more long term solution

Question 6

SALT I ratified

Answer 6

1972
- SALT 1 did not cover newer forms of nuclear technology such as MIRVs. Some historians argue that SALT 1 became a publicity stunt to show that the countries could cooperate, rather than a real attempt to control weapons.

• The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
  -The Interim Treaty

The Basic Principles Agreement ensured that the USA and the Soviet Union developed actions to avoid nuclear warfare. This treaty also set out ‘rules’ if future conflict occurred, for example, either country could not place nuclear warheads under the sea

Question 7

SALT II

Answer 7

1979
- SALT 2 never became law due to external circumstances in Afghanistan (postponed in 1980) and therefore was never upheld.
- complex treaty that covered the latest nuclear technology

The terms of SALT 2 were:
-To continue the USA and Soviet Union’s commitment to reduce nuclear weapons until 1985
-To ban the further development of new nuclear technology such as MIRVs
-To ensure the USA and the Soviet Union had equal limits of strategic bombers and missile launchers

President Carter and Brezhnev signed SALT 2 on 18th June 1979