Unit 5: Detente, Second Cold War, & Collapse of Soviet Union

What is Detente?

The relaxing of tensions

What was the Detente period?

International relations between USA, China, & USSR improved; threat of nuclear war reduced (1968-1980)

USSR reasons for Detente

• Economic decline & need for nations to buy resources & products to improve living conditions (1960)

• Brezhnev wants to work with US to get ahead of China

What were the USSR and China’s relations during the detente period

Enemies

Who was the leader of USSR during the detente period

Leonid Brezhnev

China’s reasons for Detente

• Wanted to alienate USSR by working with USA

• USSR major threat to Chinese safety & security

• Sino-Soviet Border Conflict of Chinese & Soviet soldiers in Zhenbao/Damansky Island reion (1969, 7 months)

  • Avoided all-out nuclear war & settled dispute

USA reasons for Detente

• Nixon & Kissinger wanted to end Vietnam War

  • Believed closer ties with USSR & China would help

• Wanted ‘philosophical deepening’ of US foreign policy relating to monolithic view of communism

Who was Nixon’s National Security Adviser

Henry Kissinger

What was the Realpolitik policy & it’s significance relating to the original monolithic view of communism

Acknowledged the changing of power balances of the world & that communism isn’t monolithic; political system not based on beliefs, ethics, or morals (ideological conflicts don’t determine alliances)

Who named (“coined”) the realpolitik policy

German writer & politician Ludwig von Rochau

Who was the first to use realpolitik poliy

Otto von Bismarck; to secure European peace & unify Germany in 19th century

European reasons for Detente

• Events in 1968 (Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia & student riots in France); convinced leaders relaxing tensions was best for continent for moving forward politically & economically

Who was the Willy Brandt?

Chancellor of West Germany, started movement of European Detente & encouraged East & West trade/agreements (Ostpolitik)

What was Ostpolitik

The encouragement of relations between East & West Germany (FRG & GDR) in 1969

What was MAD

Mutually Assured Destruction; major factor to USA & USSR seeking Detente, nuclear capabilities of US & USSR were equal and # of nukes would lead to complete destruction of both nations if all-out war occurred

Technological Advancement: 1945

USA detonates first atomic bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Technological Advancement: 1949

USSR tests first atomic bomb

Technological Advancement: 1952

USA tests world’s first hydrogen bomb (Mike)

Technological Advancement: 1957

USSR develops world’s first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)

Technological Advancement: 1958

USSR develops Early Warning Radar System to counter approaching missiles

Technological Advancement: 1960

USA develops Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)

Technological Advancement: 1961

USSR tests largest hydrogen bomb ever detonated (Tsar Bomba); Nobaya Zemlya Island in Arctic Ocean (Oct. 30)

Technological Advancement: 1968

USSR develops Anti-Ballistic Missiles (ABM) to counter missiles launched at USSR territory

Technological Advancement: 1970

USA develops Multiple Independently-targeted Reentry Vehicles (MIRV) to bypass Soviet ABMs

What were the events that marked the beginning of Detente

Nixon’s election & USSR acquiring ABMs (1968); Nixon concerned about ABMs creating imbalance of power (MAD), US’s fear of ABMs → seeking Detente & nuclear disarmament

What was SALT

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (1972), start of nuclear disarmament for USA & USSR (series of treaties); SALT negotiations relaxed tensions & improved relations with USA and USSR leaders

What were the treaties that were part of SALT

• ABM Treaty: ABMs allowed at 2 sites for MAD if nuclear war

• Interim Treaty: Limited numbers of ICBMs & SLBMs in each nation

• Basic Principles Agreement: Established rules of conduct in threat of nuclear war; outlined need for communication to avoid nuclear war

Why was SALT criticized

Lacking reductions of USA & USSR MIRVs

What were the results of SALT

Nixon visited Moscow in 1972 & 1974, Brezhnev visited Washington in 1973, negotiations for SALT II began in 1974

What would SALT II have done

Limit MIRVs of USSR & USA

What was the Moscow Treaty (1970)

Formalized East & West Germany Border, accepted Germany & Poland borderW

What was the Final Quadripartite Protocol (1972)

Confirmed right of West Berlin to access routes with West Germany

What was the Basic Treaty (1972)

Accepted existence of two Germanys & formalized trade between them as countries

What was the Ping-Pong Diplomacy Period

Better relations between USA & China with PRC joining UN and getting Security Council seat (1971); Nixon visiting China in 1972

What was the Helsinki Agreement

Height of Detente, reject usage of intervention between foreign affairs

Moscow Summit (1972)

Brezhnev & Nixon agree to participation of European Security Council

European Security Council in Helsinki (1973)

Created Final Act (Aug. 1, 1975), 3 baskets

What was Basket 1 of Final Act

Security agreement following Ospolitik, recognized Europe’s frontiers ensuring inability to alter them by force

What was Basket 2 of Final Act

Co-operation agreement for closer ties & collaboration in economic, scientific, & cultural fields

What was Basket 3 of Final Act

Human rights basket; agree to respect human rights & individual freedoms (including thought, religion, & travel)

Why did the West & USSR agree to Basket 3

West believed it would undermine Soviet control of Satellite States; USSR wanted Basket 1 & 2

What was the Yom Kippur War

Egypt & Isreal, 1973; USSR had knowledge of Egypt’s attack before it occurred damaging trust between USA and USSR leaders

What happened in the Angola Civil War

USSR provided military assistance to communists

What happened in the Ogaden War

Ethiopia against Somalia; USSR got involved

How did Antisemitism impact the Detente period

Increase in Antisemitism in USSR w/Brezhnev as leader, human rights violations in USSR & USSR sphere of influence (Jews denied right to emigrate in USSR)

What was Jimmy Carter’s nickname

Good Guy Jimmy Carter; attempted to secure Soviet Jews rights to emigrate through trade w/USSR

When was Carter elected & who did he replace

1976; Gerald Ford

What ended the Detente period

USSR invading Afghanistan 1979, Jimmy Carter condemned invasion & refused to approve SALT II, stopped electronic exports to USSR, forbade US athletes participating in 1980 Moscow Olympic games, increased US defense spending

What was the Carter Doctrine

Committed USA to defense of interests in Persian Gulf in case of Soviet attack

When did the Second Cold War End

Collapse of Soviet Union in 1980s

Reasons for Detente end

• Increasing tensions between US & USSR from global conflicts (Civil War in Angola, Ogaden War)

• Disagreements between Carter & Brezhnev over human rights violations of Jews in USSR

• Invasion of Afghanistan

• Election of Ronald Reagan

When was Ronald Reagan elected

1980, became president 1981; was an actor

What were Ronald Reagan’s beliefs that influenced the start of the Second Cold War

Detente only benefitted USSR & was a trick to relax tensions for Soviet expansion of influence and power; wanted to take an aggressive approach to undermining USSR operations, adopted foreign policy tough on communism (started aid w/USSR enemies in Afghanistan), increased nuclear & armed forces spending

Who was the Prime Minister of UK during Second Cold War

Margaret Thatcher, “Iron Lady”, first female PM of UK; conservative, rule in UK led to extended Conservative gov. policies & anti-communism

What occurred at the end of Brezhnev’s rule

Decline in Soviet politics 1970s (Brezhnev’s poor health), held responsible for contributions to Detente & influence over political matters in USSR that led to worsening of relations between USA & USSR

Who were Brezhnev’s successors

Yuri Andropov 1982-1984, Konstantin Chernenko 1984-1985; didn’t want to coexist with West → aggressions with USA mutually increased, denounced accusations of support for communist global expansion, needed to deal with Soviet economical decline & aggressive US foreign policy

What was Reagan’s Rhetoric

Reagan’s speech in Britain (1982) announcing abandonment of Marxism-Leninism; Reagan addressing Christian leaders in Florida of USA plans to increase nuclear power of US (1983), stated belief USSR deserving entire elimination

What was USSR response to Reagan’s Rhetoric

Condemned it as too confrontational & “lunatic anti-communism”

Why did USA gov. increase spending on defence in 1985

Fear missile gap with USSR

What occurred relating to the missile gap in 1984 (USSR)

Deployment of medium-range SS-20 Nuclear Ballistic Missiles in East Germany & Czechoslovakia

What was the USA’s response to missile deployment 1984

Pershing II missiles in West Germany

What was the Strategic Defense Initiative (1983)

USA plan to use missiles or lasers from space to counter Soviet Ballistic missiles; named “Star Wars” from American public

What were the benefits of the Strategic Defense Initiative

Billions spent on extensive space research

What was the War on Drugs

One of Reagan’s operations in Central & South America; increase of CIA, FBI, & DEA operations in Southern American to limit drug supply in USA, increase law enforcement funding to stop drug possession & sales

What were the effects of the War on Drugs

Intense increase in arresting & imprisoning minorities in US during 1980s & worsened drug problem

What was the incident with the Korean passenger flight (Sept. 1983)

Plane entered Soviet air space & was destroyed by Soviet jets; passengers killed including Larry McDonald (member of US Congress)

What was the false US nuke incident

USSR nuclear warning computers detected ballistic missile from US (1983), discovered no attack of occurance

Who is the “Man Who Saved The World”

Named by American public, Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov who prevented nuclear retaliation after detecting false warning on USSR computers, USSR fired him

When did Mikhail Gorbachev become leader of USSR

1985, relaxed tensions between USA & USSR, would lead to collapse of USSR & end of Cold War

What were Gorbachev’s beliefs relating to the USSR

Focus on military & technological advancement is damaging to economy & unsustainable; authoritarian rule & military use needed to be abandoned (Stalin’s legacy); feared USSR can’t compete with Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, peace w/West only solution

What were Gorbachev’s reforms

Perestroika (Restructuring): restructure economy & shift away from military usage towards manufacturing and housing to improve living conditions; Glasnost (Openness): opening political affairs to public & subjecting it to opposition & criticism, ensure more democracy in politics

What was the Chernobyl Disaster

Nuclear power plant explosion in Ukraine (1986), radiation spread & infected the ground & animals, caused increased cancer and death rates in city; reactor almost melted into groundwater

What was the impact of Chernobyl on Gorbachev

Acknowledged dangers of nuclear tech

What were Gorbachev’s beliefs relating to the nations of the world

Need to work together to achieve goals to avoid war & improve societal and economic situations; “climbers roped together on the mountainside”

What was Zero Option

Reagan wanted disarmament; nuclear and arms control proposal eliminating IRBMs in Europe

What was USSR response to Zero Option

Gorbachev agreed to discuss, 4 international summits

Geneva Summit

Nov. 1985; minimal progress, agreement over need to avoid war

Reykavik Summit

Oct. 1986; no agreements from Gorbachev’s wish for USA to end SDI, Reagan refused, extensive nuclear control initiatives proposed

Washington Summit

Dec. 1987; Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty signed abolishing land-based IRBMs, established inspection of destruction of missiles for USSR & USA

Moscow Summit

May 1988; no agreement on SDIs, agreement about nuclear disarmament cont., Reagan declared no longer believes in Soviets being evil

What occurred relating to Afghanistan 1988

Gorbachev announced plans to remove Soviet troops

Malta Summit 1989

Bush met Shevardnadze, declared Cold War “buried at bottom of Mediterranean”

Who was the US president following Ronald Reagan and when did he serve

George Bush, 1989-1993

What was the significance of 1989

End of USSR control over most of its satellite states in East. Europe (revolutions)

Which countries at revolutions during 1989 (ended with democratic elections and formation of democratic governments)

Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania

Poland Revolution 1989

First free elections since WWII in 1989, Solidarity won majority gov. → fall of communist party, Gorbachev didn’t help the communist party or denounce Solidarity; Poland was first nation in Eastern Bloc to abandon communism

Hungarian Revolution 1989

Within communist party, Party leader Kadar removed from power & party reformed → creation of Third Hungarian Republic with Matya Szuros as leader; free & democratic elections in 1990

Czechoslovkia Velvet Revolution

(1989) minimal violence due to mass protests pressuring communist gov. to recognize other parties; Civic Forum led revolution to election of Vaclav Havel (playwright); condemning of 1968 Invasion of Czechoslovakia & interference w/nation’s democratic process made illegal after election

Romanian Revolution

President Ceausescu ordered Romanian army to kill protestors in Timisoara (Dec. 1989); army refused & arrested and executed Ceausescu & wife Dec. 25, 1989 after trying to flee

Eastern Germany Revolution

Erich Honecker was pressured by other revolutions in Eastern Europe & fleeing of people to Hungary & Austria (migration to West & Gorbachev’s policies of travel → Berlin Wall is useless); Honecker loosened travel restrictions between East & West Berlin, East Berliners went to checkpoints & forced border guards to open barriers, East & West Berliners started tearing down wall

Who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 and why

Gorbachev for his policies & how they led to the Eastern European revolutions

Which republics part of the USSR claimed independence Aug. 1991

Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania (Baltic states), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldora, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, & Uzbekistan

How did Gorbachev influence the end of the Soviet Empire

Failed to save USSR from economic ruin (& revolutions)

How did the end of the USSR impact Gorbachev & his career

Hostility towards Gorbachev, Soviet extremists wanted coup against him, lost support & authority in Russian gov.; resigned Dec. 25, 1991; Commonwealth of Independent States formed

Who stopped the attempted coup against Gorbachev

Boris Yeltsin

What did the end of the Cold War mean for the USA

Believed Capitalism won over Communism

What did the end of the Cold War mean for Russia

Forced to start social & economic reform

What did the end of the Cold War mean for the nations of the world

Social & economic reform in nations supported by USSR, US & USSR pulled support from nations (mainly South America, Africa, and Asia) due to lack of need to compete through proxy wars & conflicts