Ch 3 - Flashcards
(60 cards)
1
Q
What is detente ?
A
A period of peace between two groups that were previously at war or hostile to one another
2
Q
What reasons did the USA have have trying to develop peace between itself and the USSR ?
A
- It wanted to focus one doing the Vietnam war
- Needed to address social problems that led to large-scale rioting in 1968
- Building nuclear weapons was expensive
3
Q
What reasons did the USSR have have trying to develop peace between itself and the USA ?
A
- Living standards were poor
- Economy was to developing ( economic problems )
- Building nuclear weapons was expensive
4
Q
What did the detente permit both superpowers to do ?
A
- They could then spend less one on nuclear weapons
- They had more money and time to concentrate on other issues
5
Q
What did the Cuban Missile crisis cause the superpowers to realise ?
A
- The Cuban Missile crisis shows that even if the superpowers didn’t want nuclear war they could easily lose controls of events : a war could break out accidentally
6
Q
What dd the Cuban Missile crisis lead to ?
A
This led to a genuine attempt to have more co-operative and stable relationship during the 1970s = detente
7
Q
What does SALT stand for ?
A
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
8
Q
What was SALT 1 ?
A
A treaty signed by the two superpowers during the period of detente about limitations on weaponry. This was a result of difficult negotiations.
9
Q
When did SALT 1 occur ?
A
In 1972
10
Q
What were the conditions of the SALT 1 ?
A
- No further production of strategic ballistic weapons
- The Interim Treaty
- The Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty
11
Q
What did the Interim Treaty state ?
A
- No increase in number of intercontinental ballistic weapons (ICBMs) (though new ones could be added to replace old ones).
- No new nuclear missile launchers.
New submarines that could launch nuclear weapons (SLBMs) only allowed as replacements for existing missile launchers.
12
Q
What did the Anti-ballistic missile treaty state ?
A
It agreed that both sides were only allowed two sites for ABMs - each site could have a minimum of 100 missiles
13
Q
What were the positive effects of the SALT 1 ?
A
- Slowed down the arms race by placing limits on the number of bombers, ICBMs and SLBMs each side could have.
- Led to further negotiations that culminated in the SALT 2 Treaty
- Ensured that neither side had a decisive advantage in strategic nuclear weapons.
14
Q
What was the largest positive impact of SALT 1 ?
A
Led to better public international relations between the two superpowers
15
Q
What were the negative effects of the SALT 1 ?
A
- Agreement/ Treaty did not completely ensure that nuclear war would be prevented when likely
- Did not cover intermediate nuclear weapons ( like MIRVs )
16
Q
When were the Helsinki Accords occur ?
A
In 1975
17
Q
What happened during the Helsinki Accords ?
A
- 33 nations form NATO and the Warsaw Pact met to build on the spirit of co-operation which had been established at SALT 1
- Agreements had been reached in 3 areas called ‘baskets’
18
Q
What was Basket 1 ?
A
- Agreement that borders were inviolable and could not be altered forcefully
- Accepted border between East and West Germany
19
Q
What was Basket 2 ?
A
- Agreed on better international co-operation between Western and Soviet-controlled countries
- Included trade engagements , technology exchanges and a joint space mission
20
Q
What was Basket 3 ?
A
- Agreement on extended human rights in Soviet controlled countries
- For people to have individual freedoms like free speech, religion and free movement across Europe
21
Q
What were the positive effects of the Helneski Accords ?
A
- Helped the USA and the Soviet Union form a stable relationship.
- Represented the high point of détente.
- Coincided with more US-Soviet cooperation
22
Q
What were the negative effects of the Helneski Accords ?
A
- The Soviet Union continued to focus on Eastern bloc countries and to apply the Brezhnev Doctrine = It treated protesters harshly
- The USA continued to prioritise its interests in countries it could influence, like Chile and El Salvador.
23
Q
What did the SALT 2 inevitably lead to and why ?
A
- SALT 2 was an arms control agreement that marked the end of détente.
- The treaty was never ratified due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
24
Q
When did the SALT 2 occur ?
A
In 1979
25
Since when had SALT 2 been under negotiations ?
Since 1972
26
What were the features of the SALT 2 ?
- Each superpower limited to 2250 warheads. SALT 2 counted warheads while SALT 1 simply counted missiles and bombers.
- Imposed limits on new launch systems including multi-warhead missiles.
27
What had started to worsen relations during the 1970s ?
- In the USA, there was a growing mistrust in USSR government, there had been increased support for communist groups in countries such as EL Salvador and Angola from the USSR
- 1979, Islamic militants captured the American embassy in Tehran and humiliated them, led angry Americans to want to see an end to detente/ USA to restore its position
- USSR invade Afghanistan
28
Why were SALT 1 and 2 partially unsuccessful ?
- Arms control agreements only set out to limit the number of warheads each superpower had. They did not attempt to reduce them.
29
What were Salt 1 and 2 partially successful ?
- Arms control agreements placed limits on the number of (ABMs), (ICBMs) and (SLBMs)
- This reduced the possibility of nuclear war by ensuring that neither side had the ability to destroy all the other side's nuclear weapons in one strike)
30
What is a ICBM ?
Intercontinental ballistic missile
31
What is a MIRV ?
Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle
32
What is a SLBM ?
Submarine-launched ballistic missile
33
What is a ABM ?
Anti-ballistic missile
34
When did the USSR invade Afghanistan ?
1979
35
What happened as a consequence of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan ?
This meant the US Senate never ratified (approved) the SALT 2 treaty, so it never became official US policy.
36
Why was Afghanistan important to the USSR ?
- Afghanistan was viewed by the USSR as an important neighbour
- It formed an important buffer zone between the USSR and Iran
37
What led to the invasion of Afghanistan ?
- April 1978, a Pro-Sovit government took control in Afghanistan
- This was toppled in 1979 when Amin staged a coup
38
How did the USSR initially view Amin's government ?
- Initially Moscow supported Amin
- However, his government became increasingly unpopular when other pro-muslim factions tried to overthrow him
39
What triggered the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan ?
- When Brezhnev heard rumours that Amin was talking to the USA about possible American support
40
what happened during the invasion of Afghanistan ?
- Dec 1979 , Soviet forces invaded claiming they had been invited by Amin to support his government against terrorists
- Amin was assassinated
- Main was replaced by Pro-Soviet Babrak Kamal
41
What is a coup ?
A sudden, violent, and unlawful seizure of power from a government
42
How did the USSR view Soviet invasion if Afghanistan ?
They thought it was similar to Czechoslovakia, an invasion in order to protect the USSR's intreats in neighbouring state
43
How did the USA view Soviet invasion if Afghanistan ?
- Saw it as USSR trying to spread communism abroad
- Caused withdrawal of SALT 2 and USA spent more on arms
44
What was the Carter Doctrine ?
A doctrine stating that the USA would repel by force any threat to USA interests in the Persian Gulf
45
When was Ronald Reagan elected ?
In 1980
46
When was Mikhail Gorbachev elected ?
1985
47
What were Renold Reagan's beliefs ?
- He was very anti-communist
- He described the USSR as an 'evil empire' during a speech
48
What was Reagan's more tough approach towards the USSR ?
- He persuaded the US congress to increases pending on arms agains ( 13% more in 1982 )
- He kickstarted the arms race again
- he introduced Reagan Doctrine
49
What was the Reagan Doctrine ?
It stated that the USA would only support anti-communist governments and anti-communist governments trying to overthrow communist governments
50
When was the Moscow Olympic Games ?
in 1980
51
What did the USSR want to achieve eat the Moscow olympics ?
- They wanted to promote communism to the huge television audience who would watch the Olympics of the world
52
How did the USA boycott the USSR Olympics ?
- They told athletes of other countries not to go ( Britain didn't prevent their athletes from going but encouraged it, Isa threatened athletes with their passport being taken away )
- This caused many of the best athletes not to attend the Moscow olympics
53
What was the effect of the boycott olympics in Moscow ?
- Due to many of the best athletes not attending the Moscow olympics, it made many events look second-rate
- The USSR were very angry that their chance to showcase communism was undermined
- Caused relations between USA and USSR to deteriorate
54
What'd the SDI stand for ?
Strategic Defence initiative ( Star Wars )
55
When was the SDI announced ?
in 1983
56
What was the SDI ?
- It was a new policy introduced by Reagan
- It would place satellite states in orbit
- These satellite states would have powerful lasers that would shoot down any Soviet missiles an prevent them from harming the USA
57
What was Reagan's aim with the SDI ?
To place Soviet spending under even more pressure
58
What was the Crisis in the USSR during the 1980s ?
- Its economy was in poor shape, partly because it spent so much on weapons.
* Living standards were very low right across the Eastern bloc.
* It was bogged down in the war in Afghanistan.
* The Soviet Union did not have the USA's computing expertise.
* The Soviet Union could not keep pace with the USA's new missile technology.
59
What was the USSR reaction to the SDI ?
- They were in shock
- They had placed large amounts of sums into catching up with the USA but now their missiles were redundant and new system was needed ( however economy was weak )
60
What was the significance of the SDI ?
- It was a turning point in the arms race and Cold War
- USA would have to invest a lot of resources in order to pull it off
- USSR hadn't caught up yet at that point and having a weak economy couldn't possibly try and create a similar system to the SDI
