US 2 Final - End of the cold war

END OF THE COLD WAR

Detente

Easing of tensions between the U.S. and USSR

SALT I

US and USSR agreed to a limited number of ballistic missiles and limited number of missile deployment sites

SALT II

Limited total of both nation’s nuclear forces to 2,250 delivery vehicles and other restrictions on deployed strategic nuclear forces

• Not ratified in response to Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

• Mockingly coined the nickname “Star Wars”

• Unrealistic missile defense system in space intended to protect the U.S. from nuclear attack

  • Meant to intimidate USSR (and it did cause paranoia)

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

USSR wanted to establish communism and suppress the Mujaheddin Rebellion against the government

• The Soviet Union lost and withdrew

• Afghan civil war ensued

Human Rights Foreign Policy

• PRESIDENT CARTER’S FOREIGN POLICY

  • e.x. Somoza regime was non-communist and oppressive

    • Treated its people horribly

    • Sandinistas were communists and overthrew the gov.

      • Were tough on those who violated human rights (that’s why Carter was fine with them)

Fall of Berlin Wall

• First step towards German reunification

• East German officials made a wrong public announcement and people fled to West Berlin ASAP

Reasons for the collapse of The Soviet Union

• Economic weakness

• Political policies/stubbornness

• Growth of nationalism

• Invasion of Afghanistan

• Nuclear disaster at Chernobyl

• Pressure to keep up in Arms Race with U.S.

Impact of Charlie Wilson’s War

• How the US/CIA funded the jihad- where the U.S. gave the Soviets their own version of the Vietnam War

  • Supplied military equipment to the Afghan Mujaheddin during the Soviet-Afghan War

End of Communism in Europe Vs. China (1989)

• EUROPE- The biggest symbol of the division was the Berlin Wall which was brought down on November 9, 1989

• CHINA- Tienanmen Square protests that were suppressed by government crackdown, maintaining communist rule

Gerald Ford

• 38th president

• pardoned Nixon for the Watergate scandal

• Focused on restoring confidence in the government and healing the nations wounds

Jimmy Carter

• 39th president

• Known for his emphasis on human rights and his diplomatic efforts

• Faced challenges such as the Iran Hostage crisis and economic issues

Mikhail Gorbachev

• Soviet leader (1985-1991)

• Known for implementing reforms like Glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) which inevitably contributed to the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union.

Ronald Reagan

• 40th president

• Advocated for tax cuts and increased military spending

• Had a key role in ending the Cold War through negotiations with the USSR leader Gorbachev

How did the foreign policies of Nixon, Ford, and Reagan differ form the early Cold War?

• shifted from the early idea of confrontation towards detente (Nixon)

• Focus on human rights and realism (Ford)

• Ended with an uptake in confrontation with negotiations (Reagan)

All aimed for stability and peace while remaining a superpower