Detente

• What concept did the USSR and USA agree on?


  Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
• Why did the USA and USSR agree on detente?


  The nuclear arms race had distracted them from their domestic concerns
• What were the issues in the USA in the 1960s?


  Vietnam War:

  • In 1968 alone, they had spent $84 billion on its military and were in debt as a result
  • 60,000 US soldiers died
  • The war was unpopular amongst US citizens - mass protests for the USA to withdraw

  Civil Rights:

  • Severe racial tensions
  • Lack of civil rights for black people caused conflict
  • Assassination of MLK increased tensions
  • 1968 - Black Americans rioting across the USA
• What were the issues in the USSR in the 1960s?

  Economy:

  • Soviet Union's economy was poor
  • Five Year Plans made to develop the economy were not helping to improve the economy
  • They produced very poor quality consumer goods which limited the Soviet Union to selling products within their own country

  Standard of living:

  • Houses were unsafe
  • People were working in harsh, dangerous conditions
  • Human rights were abused

  Military spending:

  • 20% of their GDP was spent on defence budget
  • As the economy was not growing, they would not be able to sustain all the military spending
• Who became president of the USA in 1968?


  Nixon
• What does SALT stand for?


  Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
• When was SALT I signed?


  May 1972
• What were the terms of SALT I?


  • Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty - the USA and USSR were allowed to have 100 ABMs across 2 sites
  • Interim Treaty - placed restrictions on number of ICBMs and SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles) they could have, the USA could have 1000 ICBMs and 740 SLBMs, USSR could have 1600 ICBMs and 740 SLBMs as the USA had more strategic bombers
  • Basic Principles Agreement - outlined the rules for if nuclear warfare happened and set out actions to prevent nuclear warfare
• What happened to SALT II?


  It was never ratified
• Why was SALT II never ratified?


  USA:

  • US government felt it gave the Soviet Union too much power and did not want to pass it
  • It never received ratification from the US Senate so the treaty was never upheld by the USA or USSR

  USSR:

  • Began to support more communist rebels in El Salvador and Angola
  • Invasion of Afghanistan in Dec 1979 marked the end of detente
• What were the baskets agreed at the Helsinki Accords?

  Basket 1 - European borders: Borders can not be changed forcefully

  Basket 2 - International co-operation: Both sides would work together for closer relations which included trade agreements, technology exchanges and a joint space mission

  Basket 3 - Human rights: Both sides would have to respect human rights especially the USSR who now had to allow freedom of speech, religion and free movement across Europe