Cold War: Chapter 5 [The Thaw and Detente 1963-72]

Question 1

THAW BEGINS

Answer 1

• arms race post WW2
• MAD kept peace
• but Cuban Missile Crisis showed possibility of loss of control
• nuclear war threat on world had be reduced

Question 2

LIMITED TEST BAN TREATY [1963]

Answer 2

• atmosphere tests and dangerous radioactive fallout
• treaty drawn up by USA, USSR and GBR
• 113 countries signed
• no nuclear explosions in atmosphere, underwater, outerspace and anywhere where debris end up outside testing state borders

Question 3

OUTER SPACE TREATY [1967]

Answer 3

• stopped arms race spreading to space
• stopped claim of moon
• based on 1963 UN resolution
• outer space exploration should be beneficial to all countries
• no nuclear or mass destruction weapons in space
• moon and other celestial bodies only to be used for peaceful purposes
• states responsible for space object caused damage
• avoid harmful contamination of space

Question 4

NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY [1968]

Answer 4

• signed by big three + 59
• Nuclear Weapon States + Non-Nuclear Weapon States
• NWS work towards disarmament and don’t help other nations develop such weapons [NNWS]
• NNWS agreed because few had tech, finance or desire to develop nukes

Question 5

DETENTE

Answer 5

• 1968: Johnson cancelled meeting with Brezhnev after Czechoslovakia so relations = poor
• Brezhnev believed Soviet control in Eastern Europe more important than good relations with West
• Johnson didn’t want America to be seen friendly with nation heavily criticized in American media
• Detente in 1960s

Question 6

USA’S REASONS FOR DETENTE

Answer 6

• 1968 elected Nixon determined to leave Vietnam War
• 60,000 soldiers died, cost $170 billion, was unpopular internationally and led to large scale American anti-war demonstrations
• shortage of money to deal with all time high 1968 urban rioting after MLK assassination
• personal ambition to establish Chinese relations and reduce USA USSR tensions and get approval for doing so
• if USA friendly with China, USSR may be forced to agree with USA

Question 7

USSR’S REASONS FOR DETENTE

Answer 7

• USA’S equals in nukes
• Vietnam war had shown possibility of US military defeat
• spending 30% of GDP on defence
• wanted to improve living standards, update economy and catch up on tech
• West may share tech if relations improved

Question 8

OSTOPOLITIK

Answer 8

• 1969: Willy Brandt elected West German Chancellor and wanted eased tension by using Ostopolitik

Question 8

CHINESE ROLE IN DETENTE

Answer 8

• 1949: communist take over
• 1950: Chairman Mao to Moscow to sign Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance [USSR to send $300 million aid and military assistance if US or Japanese attack on China]
• Mao disappointed by poor accomodation and lack of respect given to delegates
• worsened relations when Khrushchev met Mao in Beijing 1968
• Mao criticized his policies, his cowardice in Cuba and his attack on fellow communist Czechoslovakia
• 1969: fighting between troops on border
• war possible and suspicions of USSR were shared so friendship with USA was needed
• but relations = poor because USA willing to defend Taiwan with war, Americans called ‘capitalist running dogs’ by Mao followers
• Aril 1971: World Table Tennis Championship
• Chinese team told to avoid USA but friendly contact happened
• USA team invited to China
• after matches Kissinger met Chinese Prime Minister Zhou En-Lai
• ‘ping pong diplomacy’
• SALT 1 negotiated
• Feb 1972: Shanghai Communique signed to find peaceful solution to Taiwan problem
• 1973: Nobel Peace Prize to Kissinger for ending US involvement in Vietnam

Question 8

DETENTE: SALT 1 [MAY 1972]

Answer 8

• Anti-Ballistic Missile at only 2 sites in each country
• 100 missiles maximum each
• Interim treaty allowed USSR more Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles [because USA had more strategic bombers and secretly had Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles]
• Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles controlled too
• Basic Principles Agreement: no warheads on seabed, both countries to take care in relations and ‘make every effort to avoid this risk’
• unrealistic for paper to stop war
• treaty didn’t cover MIRVs
• BUT was major symbol demonstrating better relations publically and causing Nixon to visit Moscow and Brezhnev to visit D.C.
• 1974: SALT 2 negotiations began