Detente Flashcards
(44 cards)
Q: What major Cold War crisis in 1962 convinced both the USA and USSR of the need for nuclear limitations?.
A: The Cuban Missile Crisis. It brought the world to the edge of nuclear war, showing both superpowers how dangerous their rivalry had become and pushing them to consider arms control seriously.
Q: What revealed the failure of early Cold War disarmament efforts before 1962?
A: A U.S. journalist calculated there had been 863 international conferences and 17,000 hours of discussion — all without any disarmament agreement, highlighting how fruitless the diplomacy had been.
Q: What treaty was signed in 1963 to limit nuclear testing, and what did it achieve?
A: The Test Ban Treaty. It banned nuclear testing in the atmosphere, underwater, and in space, reducing radioactive fallout and easing Cold War tensions.
Q: What was the goal of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968)?
A: To stop the spread of nuclear weapons by encouraging disarmament and promoting peaceful use of nuclear technology while preventing more countries from acquiring weapons.
Q: What milestone in the arms race was reached in 1969 between the USA and USSR?
A: The USSR achieved nuclear parity with the USA. It had 1,198 ICBMs, while the USA had 1,054, meaning both had enough nuclear power to destroy each other — a balance that changed superpower dynamics.
Q: What concept described the superpowers’ nuclear relationship during this time?
A: Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) — the idea that if one side launched a nuclear attack, both would be completely destroyed, making war irrational and catastrophic.
Q: How did public opinion influence détente in the West?
A: The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) mobilized a generation, especially in Britain, raising awareness of nuclear war’s horrors and putting pressure on governments to seek peace.
Q: What new weapons technology in the late 1960s risked reigniting the arms race?
A: The USA and USSR started developing Anti-Ballistic Missiles (ABMs) and MIRVs (missiles carrying multiple warheads), threatening to undermine the existing nuclear balance.
Q: What economic burdens were both superpowers facing in 1969?
A: U.S. defense spending was about $39.7 billion; the USSR’s was $42 billion, around 15% of its entire economy. These costs were unsustainable and encouraged both sides to negotiate.
Q: What key message did Nixon give in his 1969 inauguration speech?
A: Nixon committed clearly to peace and disarmament, marking a shift from aggressive Cold War rhetoric to a more diplomatic approach.
Q: What was the Nixon Doctrine and how did it change U.S. policy?
A: Announced in 1969, it signaled that the USA would support allies but expected them to manage their own defense — a move away from the Truman Doctrine’s global anti-communist stance.
Q: How did the USSR respond to tensions with China during the Sino-Soviet split?
A: In 1969, the USSR positioned 25 army divisions along its border with China — more than twice the number it had in Europe — showing how seriously it viewed China as a threat.
Q: What was the significance of China’s hydrogen bomb test in 1967?
A: It confirmed China as a major nuclear power and added pressure on both the USSR and USA to factor China into their strategic planning.
Q: What key diplomatic shift happened in 1971 for China?
A: China (PRC) was admitted to the United Nations, replacing Taiwan. This ended 22 years of diplomatic isolation and boosted its international status.
Q: What was Ping Pong Diplomacy and why did it matter?
A: In 1971, the U.S. table tennis team visited China. This symbolic gesture opened the door to U.S.-China talks and helped thaw relations, leading to Nixon’s 1972 visit.
Q: What did Nixon’s 1972 visit to China accomplish?
A: It produced the Shanghai Communiqué, in which both sides agreed not to seek dominance in the Asia-Pacific — a clear message aimed at containing Soviet influence.
Q: What was the “China card” and how did Nixon use it?
A: Nixon improved relations with China to pressure the USSR. By moving closer to Beijing, he put the Soviets on the defensive, encouraging them to seek détente with the USA.
Q: How did the USSR react to Nixon’s China diplomacy?
A: The USSR tried to arrange a summit with the U.S. and played down tensions (like the loss of Soviet ships to U.S. mines) to avoid looking aggressive or isolated.
Q: What role did Kissinger play in Nixon’s diplomacy?
A: Nixon appointed Henry Kissinger as his national security advisor. Kissinger conducted secret diplomacy, bypassing the State Department and centralizing control in the White House.
: What Western European country pursued Ostpolitik and what was its goal?
A: West Germany, from 1966 onward, sought peaceful relations with Eastern Europe and the USSR, softening East-West tensions.
Q: What were France’s Cold War diplomatic moves in the 1960s?
A: France established relations with the USSR in 1964 and withdrew from NATO’s military command in 1966, showing independence from U.S. strategy.
Q: What were some economic results of détente by 1972–73?
A: U.S.-Soviet trade soared from $67 million in 1971 to $490 million in 1973. Deals included American wheat sales and Pepsi opening a plant in the USSR.
Q: Why was Nixon’s re-election in 1972 significant for détente?
A: He won a landslide victory, partly thanks to his foreign policy success, especially in improving relations with both China and the USSR.
Q21: How was détente symbolized in space?
A: The 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission showed peaceful cooperation between Cold War rivals
