9.2 Détente

• What was the Détente?

  The period from the 1960s into the second half of the 1970s, when relations between the US and USSR improved and tensions decreased
• Key features of the Détente

  • much greater dialogue between the leaders of the US and USSR
  • threat of war was significantly reduced
  • agreements were made to reduce the number of nuclear weapons the countries had
  • summits were held regularly between Brezhnev and Nixon
• Why did the relationship between the USSR and China begin to deteriorate in the late 1960s?


  Mao did not share the views of Khrushchev of Brezhnev
• Why was the Sino-soviet split disadvantageous for the USSR?

  • USSR had emerged advantageous from the Treaty of Friend
  • China was the most populated country with an undeniable sphere of influence
• How did the Sino-Soviet split lead the USSR to become more tolerant with the USA and the West?


  Due to the threat of an increasingly hostile and powerful China on its borer, the USSR became more inclined to seek stability with the US
• How did the USA benefit from the Sino-Soviet split?

  • it was an opportunity to deal with both powers separately, weakening their collective strength against the west (weakening the communist bloc)
  • could exert pressure on one country by improving relations with the other
• Nixon key biography

  • 1913-1994
  • Trained and practised as a lawyer until WW2, when he served in the US Navy
  • As senator, he became a leading anti-communist campaigner. His actions led to the growing hysteria of the period, but also raised his profile as a politician
  • Eisenhower's vice president in 1952 and served eight years
  • oversaw end of US involvement in Vietnam
  • Forced to resign in 1974 after details of corruption came to light
• How did the Cuban Missile Crisis help lead to the détente?

  • It was clear that neither side was willing to use nuclear weapons when it could result in their own destruction - Mutually Assured Destruction
  • Resulted in Partial Test Ban Treaty, signed by Khrushchev and Kennedy
  • hotline between Kremlin and White House that would allow the two leaders to communicate directly in the case of an emergency
  • this marked a pivotal moment of increased co-operation between the two superpowers
• How did the nuclear issue help lead to the détente due to other countries having nuclear weapons?

  When it came to light that the US and USSR weren't the only countries with nuclear weaponry (for Britain, France and China had now acquired devastating arms), the anxiety in both Moscow and Washington over a fear of more unpredictable governments emerging further increased levels of communication and coordination
• How did economic issues contribute to the détente?

  Both countries were spending billions of dollars fighting the Cold War and it was increasingly clear that no end was in sight
• Examples on how the US and USSR spent money on the Cold War and how they tried to reduce the costs

  • Both superpowers spent an insurmountable amount of money on military expenses in the arms, and space race
  • by engaging in control agreements (eg SALT) and Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, both superpowers aimed to reduce spiralling costs
• How did the détente economically benefit the USSR?

  • The USSR was behind the US in technological advancements consumer goods due to the concrete divide imposed by the Iron Curtain
  • The détente opened opportunities for increased trade with western countries, allowing the USSR to acquire much needed technology, machinery and consumer goods
  • The USSR struggled to pass on a chance to modernise its economy and improve living standards, so had to cooperate with the US
• What was the SALT?

  • after the brinkmanship of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, there were a number of attempts to deal with the issue of nuclear weapons
  • The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), begun in 1969, were the most serious, formal talks that had ever taken place between the superpowers
  • A number of treaties were signed, including a ban on the building of new ballistic missile launchers, while the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty reduce the number of anti-nuclear defence systems that could be built
• When was SALT 1 officially signed?

  At the Moscow Summit of May 1972
• Why were Brezhnev and Nixon unlikely figures to lead their countries into a more friendly relationship?

  • Both had been involved in politics since the early days of teh Cold War and were extremely distrustful of the motives of the opposing governments
  • Nixon had built his career as a strongly anti-communist senator and then as Eisenhower's vice president
  • Brezhnev had been a member of the Politburo during the time of Stalin and had been a powerful figure in Khrushchev's government
• What are some theories as to why Brezhnev and Nixon worked well together?

  
  

  Their experience allowed them to achieve things that younger leaders could not: they had seen the Cold War at its most tense and were determined that those days should not return