the 1960s Flashcards
what was the 1960 Paris Summit and what was its consequences?
Khrushchev wanted a deal over Berlin and also an agreement to prohibit nuclear weapons in the pacific and a ban on such weapons in Germany. This failed when China announced that it would not consider itself bound by any agreement that it had not been part of (Chinas nuclear arsenal was close to completion by 1960 and if agreed would not be allowed nuclear weapons as they are in pacific). The Summit collapsed with the news that an American U2 spy plane had been shot down while on a mission over the USSR.
what was Kennedys flexible response approach?
Kennedy was convinced that the USAs non-nuclear capabilities should be expanded and this would reduce the threat of nuclear war and enabled the USA to react to a wide range of threats such as insurgency and subversion. Kennedy believed that this flexible approach would be better and have less restraints than Eisenhower’s massive retaliation policy – this strategy reflected Kennedys fear of the threats posed by the increasing strengths of both China and the USSR. It had clear implication for Vietnam as communist led insurgency in South Vietnam threatened to spread beyond South Vietnam. Kennedy backed counterinsurgency measures delivered by conventional ground forces
What was the Moscow Test Ban treaty 1963, what was it consequences and its weaknesses?
In August 1963, the USA and USSR signed the Moscow Test Ban Treaty. This came after the Cuban Missile Crisis where members of the public did not want to be seen as weakening their stance against the other superpower. An agreement was reached in 1963; the agreement was partial or limited because it did not include underground tests. However, above-ground, underwater and outer-space nuclear testing was prohibited. The treaty was signed by the USA, UK, USSR. However, significantly France and China refused to sign the agreement and both continued to test its nuclear weapons in the pacific until the 1990s. Despite its limitations, the treaty demonstrated that the signatories understood the dangers of nuclear technologies and were willing to limit their usage of nuclear weapons:
-It was the first collective agreement to establish some limitations on the nuclear arms race
-The treaty confirmed that Britain, the USA and the USSR were committed to the principle of some form of easing the cold war tensions associated with the cold war
What was the nuclear non proliferation treaty of 1968
In October 1964, the Peoples Republic of China successfully tested a nuclear bomb and thereby entered the club of nuclear powers alongside France, Britain, the USA and the USSR. This was finalised in July 1968 with the Non-Proliferation treaty (NPT) in which all signatories agreed they would not sure any nuclear devices or create any new nuclear weapons. However, they were allowed to develop and research nuclear power for fuel. In effect, the treaty established the principle that non-nuclear states would never be able to establish nuclear weapon arsenals by forming alliances with those states that had nuclear weapons. It was seen as an evolving treaty and other countries were encouraged to sign the treaty. Most countries in the UN became signatories between 1968-1970. For political reasons France and China did not sign until 1992, already privately pledged to adhere to the terms of the treaty in 1968.
When did the peoples republic of China successfully test a nuclear bomb?
In October 1964
what was the crisis in Czechoslovakia in 1968?
Historically, Czechoslovakia was a relatively prosperous member of the Eastern Bloc but in 1963 negative growth was recorded. This economic downturn lead the Czechoslovak to reconsider its relationship to socialism and the Communist Party which was a source of inefficiency and corruption. From Moscow’s perspective, the Czechoslovaks government had been a loyal satellite state and it supported the Party officials until it appeared that the country might revolt against them in the 1960s. An influential Czechoslovak economist, Professor Ota Sik, proposed reforms to the planned economy. These included:
-an end to the centrally planned economic targets for the whole country
-allowing individual enterprises to function
-a Communist party that would be responsive to public opinion
-the existence of consumer rights
-the workforce having more power
The Communist Party was not going to let these changes take place and in 1966, Sik argued for political reform seeing that as the only possibility for economic reform. His arguments were gaining support with the entire wider public.
what happened in the Prague Spring of 1968?
In January 1968, Party leader Novotny was pressured into resigning by the USSR and replaced with Alexander Dubcek. The Soviets believed he was pro-Soviet but he wanted political reform. He quickly began to replace key officials with those who wanted reform, without consulting the Soviets. Among his reforms, Dubcek eliminated press censorship. In April 1968, Dubcek announced the Action Programme which stated the Communist Partys determination to achieve socialism through a distinct Czechoslovak path. To do so, the government needed to allow: the basic freedoms of speech, press and movement- including travel to Western countries, increased freedom for economic enterprises and increased rights of autonomy for the politically oppressed and underrepresented Slovak minority.
The Communist Party would retain its leading role but it would acknowledge the legitimacy of non-party institutions such as trade unions. New associations such as the Club of Non-Committed Party Members (KAN) and Club K-231 came into being. Club K-231 was an organisation made up of former political prisoners. To protect these reforms, Dubcek assured Moscow that Czechoslovakia would remain loyal to the Warsaw Pact. Most countries in Eastern Europe were alarmed by these actions but the Soviets initially watched Czechoslovakia with regard to how far these reforms would go. When no clear opposition to the Action Programme emerged, reformers in the Czechoslovak Communist Party took things even further. They ended all Press Censorship, planned to open borders with the West and even began discussions on a trade agreement with West Germany, all whilst maintaining that Czechoslovakia was a loyal member of the socialist party.
What was the Action Programme proposed by Dubcek in 1968?
In April 1968, Dubcek announced the Action Programme which stated the Communist Partys determination to achieve socialism through a distinct Czechoslovak path. To do so, the government needed to allow: the basic freedoms of speech, press and movement- including travel to Western countries, increased freedom for economic enterprises and increased rights of autonomy for the politically oppressed and underrepresented Slovak minority.
The Communist Party would retain its leading role but it would acknowledge the legitimacy of non-party institutions such as trade unions. New associations such as the Club of Non-Committed Party Members (KAN) and Club K-231 came into being. Club K-231 was an organisation made up of former political prisoners. To protect these reforms, Dubcek assured Moscow that Czechoslovakia would remain loyal to the Warsaw Pact. When no clear opposition to the Action Programme emerged, reformers in the Czechoslovak Communist Party took things even further. They ended all Press Censorship, planned to open borders with the West and even began discussions on a trade agreement with West Germany, all whilst maintaining that Czechoslovakia was a loyal member of the socialist party.
When was the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and what happened?
Hoping to imitate Dubcek, the Warsaw Pact members conducted military exercises in Czechoslovakia in June 1968. They held a meeting of the leaders of the USSR, Bulgaria, East Germany, Hungary and Poland on 14th-15th July and expressed their concerns regarding Czechoslovakia reforms. In the subsequent Warsaw letter from the Warsaw Pact to Czechoslovak officials, they summarised Czechoslovakia’s right to internal self determination but they also stated that challenges to socialism within one country were a threat to the entire socialist movement and should not be tolerated as they could lead to a split in socialist unity both internally and externally. At the end of July, Brezhnev and Dubcek had the last of 6 meetings regarding the actions within Czechoslovakia. Brezhnev pressured Dubcek to repeal the reforms but despite this Dubcek continued with his liberating path. Warsaw Pact forces invaded Czechoslovakia on the 20-21st of August 1968. The Warsaw Pact faced no international action and the only complaints came from within the Communist Camp and there were some protests in China and Romania against the invasion. NATO did not feel threatened by the invasion. However, the truth was that the USSR had violated the sovereignty and integrity of Czechoslovakia which appeared to undermine any possibility that change could be made through party led reform.
What was the Brezhnev doctrine 1968 and what was said in it?
Brezhnev expanded upon the responsibility of communist states to intervene in order to protect the good of the whole communist community. Brezhnev also defined what deviation from communism would lead to. Despite the Brezhnev doctrine, thousands of Czechoslovaks demonstrated on the streets of Prague in 1968. The Soviets found it hard to find members of the Czechoslovak Communist Party willing to take control of the regime so Dubcek remained in power until 1969.
What did the National Security Councils Net Evaluation Subcommittee estimate?
That in the face of a nuclear attack, there would be 93 million casualties from both sides.
When was the Hot line introduced?
It was introduced in 1963 between the Kremlin and the White house so that the powers could communicate faster to avoid situations such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was symbolic of a new spirit of cooperation.
How much had the arms race cost the USSR by the 1960s?
The arms race had cost the USSR amounted to 20% of its annual budget in the 1960s of which made the Soviets even more eager than ever to limit nuclear weapons with the USA.
What was the Malinovsky incident 1964?
At Sino-Soviet talks held in Moscow in 1964, the Soviet defence minister Malinovsky suggested to a Chinese delegate Long, that the Chinese should get rid of Mao just as the Soviets had got rid of Khrushchev. The talks immediately collapsed despite Soviet apologies. This caused the rift between the two sides to widen.
Why did the division between China and the USSR deepen by 1964?
In 1964, due to the breakdown in tensions, China called for the return of territory that it claimed the USSR had occupied historically, particularly parts of Siberia. Khrushchev rejected this out of hand but his resignation in 1964 put the decision in the hands of Brezhnev who initially advocated the restoration of positive relations with China. This was motivated by the USAs growing conflict in Vietnam. This was strained by the subsequent Malinovsky incident and Mao continued to see the USSR as a revisionist communist state.
