Detente

• The Vietnam War:

  • USA sent soldiers to fight but it had not gone well

  • US people protested against the war

  • Nixon hoped to bring it to an end in 1969.
• Nixon’s Visit to Moscow, 1972:

  • he made it clear the Vietnam war was not going to stop détente.

  • Brezhnev encouraged relations - hoped to gain more access to US

  technology and reduce the money spent on arms
• SALT I, 1972:

  • 1972 - Nixon and Brezhnev had meetings called the Strategic Arms

  Limitation Talks

  • discussed limiting their development of nuclear weapons

  • a significant step towards nuclear peace

  • still allowed to produce some missiles and use satellites
• Yom Kippur War - 1973:

  • Syria and Egypt made surprise attacks on Israel

  • Israel needed support.

  • USA agreed with Brezhnev to send in a peacekeeping UN force

  • war ended in ceasefire in 1973
• Nixon’s Second Visit to Moscow - 1974:

  • both superpowers would

  continue to remove the danger of war

  • agreed to end the arms race

  • complete disarmament
• Space Link-up:

  • 17th July 1975 - USSR and USA had a

  joint space mission in the Apollo-Soyuz mission

  • 3 US and 2 Soviet astronauts met in space

  • carried out a symbolic hand-shake
• The Helsinki Agreements - 1974:

  • USA, Soviet Union and 33 other countries made various peaceful

  agreements

  • closer economic, scientific and

  cultural links were created, encouraging cooperation

  • all agreed to increased human rights and basic freedoms such as speech and religion
• After Helsinki:

  • USA wanted to ensure the Soviet Union were increasing human rights and sent Helsinki groups to monitor their actions

  • found the Soviet Union had not

  followed what they promised

  • both sides continued to build arms
• SALT II - 1974:

  • agreements in this treaty were more limitations on nuclear arms lasting until 1985

  • included limits on nuclear vehicles,

  nuclear launches, and weapons
• Effects of SALT II:

  • US congress did not believe the Soviet Union would stick to their promise

  • suspicious of their 2,000 troops stationed in Cuba

  • NATO decided to place missiles in Europe and détente was under pressure