T3 B

• reasons for soviet invasion of Afghanistan 1979:


  -iran had an Islamic revolution in 1979

  -Moscow didn't want the Islamic fundamentalism to spread across its borders as there were many Muslims in the USSR

  -Moscow wanted to ensure a pro soviet government in Afghanistan to protect their interests
• soviet invasion of Afghanistan:

  -in April 1978 a pro soviet government took control in Afghanistan and received economic help from USSR

  -in September 1979 Hafizullah Amin staged a coup and toppled that government

  -at first Moscow supported him until he became increasingly unpopular as other pro Muslim factions tried to overthrow him

  -when Brezhnev heard rumours that Amin was talking to USA fir support, the USSR invaded Afghanistan on 24 December 1979

  -Amin was assassinated on 27 December 1979 and replaced by pro soviet leader Babrak Kamal

  -the USSR remained in Afghanistan fighting Kamals opponents for almost 10 years
• consequences of the soviet invasion of Afghanistan:

  -USA perceived the invasion as the spread of communism

  -USA trained, armed and funded Muslim guerilla fighters called the Mujahdeen

  -USSR spent around $8 billion dollars per year on the invasion and cost the lives of 15,000 soviet troops and civilian casualties of 1.5 million

  -USA introduced the carter doctrine

  -US president Carter withdrew from salt 2 and increased military spending, formally ending détente

  -Olympic boycotts of 1980 Moscow and 1984 LA games
• Carter Doctrine:

  -USA would repel by force any perceived threats to US interests in the Persian Gulf

  -carter imposed economic sanctions on the USSR, refusing to export grain to them and preventing companies selling computers to them

  -USA sent weapons and billions of dollars to the Mujahedeen

  -carter refused to ratify SALT 2

  -end of détente

  -start of second cold war
• Olympic boycotts:

  -USA coordinated a boycott of Moscow 1980 by over 60 nations

  -USA athletes prevented from travelling whilst other nations encouraged their athletes not to go

  -success of boycott demonstrated the power of USA

  -deepened the division between East and West

  -1984 LA olympics the USSR coordinated boycott of 15 communist states refusing to go

  -USSR organised rival tournament called Friendship Games
• Reagan and the second cold war:

  -Reagan won USA election because of his anti-USSR stance

  -called it the evil empire and the USA was the force for good in his 1983 speech to a Christian group

  -he persuaded US Congress to increase military spending, 1982 had a 13% increase, 1983 had an 8% increase, and there was a total of 29% increase in 3 years

  -new weapons such as Trident nuclear submarines and Stealth bombers were developed

  -Reagan doctrine stated USA would actively support anti communist groups

  -USA supported groups in central America like El Salvador and Nicaragua

  -US forces invaded Grenada in the Caribbean and toppled their communist government

  -Reagan described it as the first roll back
• strategic defence initiative:

  -in 1983 Reagan announced the SDI programme, or star wars, where the US would place satellites into orbit with the capability of shooting down nuclear missiles with powerful lasers
• consequences of the SDI:

  -it would protect the USA from being hit with nuclear weapons, ending MAD

  -but the SDI system was not operational and stood no realistic chance of becoming so

  -USSR felt their technology was becoming redundant

  -USSR pressurised into spedjing huge amounts of money on technology development to catch up with USA

  -soviet economy couldn't cope with this

  -Gorbachev was heavily influenced by this, leading to his new thinking in 1985