The arms race + relations with China

Kissinger was convinced by 1974 that…

if a SALT 2 agreement was not reached by the time that the interim agreement expired there would be an expansion of nuclear weapons technology & in the number of nuclear weapons

There was a possibility that the USSR could be in a position to…

destroy American nuclear forces - so the US possibly needed to expand their nuclear arsenal to balance that of the USSR

SALT was seen by Kissinger as a guarantee that a…

nuclear arms race would not revive & expand

The US Defence Secretary urged that the US needed to…

ensure that it had technological & strategic superiority of the USSR in nuclear weapons

By 1978 the USSR refused to…

end the deployment of SS-20 missiles in Europe or to reduce its stocks of heavy missiles

Carter accepted that the US had to …

address the growing strategic imbalance & activated the deployment of new weapons programmes & the establishment of a new stealth bomber

In December 1979…

Carter convinced the USA’s NATO allies to increase their military expenditure by 3% & deploy 572 Pershing II & cruise missiles across alliance territory

when did Carter convinced the USA’s NATO allies to increase their military expenditure by 3% & deploy 572 Pershing II & cruise missiles across alliance territory?

December 1979

until when had the USSR refused to end their deployment of SS-20 missiles?

1978

The USSR continued to …

deploy its SS-20 missile systems through its Warsaw Pact allies

the USSR's continued deployment of SS-20 missile systems was seen by the US & its European allies as…

a fundamental threat to the NATO defence strategy

what profoundly shifted the basis for East-West detente?

The USSRs invasion of Afghanistan

when did the USSR invade Afghanistan?

December 1989

Mao’s focus by the 1970s was the…

economic development of China rather than revolution

how was Mao going to achieve the economic development of China?

through closer links with the US

Mao’s successor, Den Xiaoping, emphasised the …

centrality, in terms of Chinese interests, of economics over revolutionary theory

who was Mao’s successor?

Den Xiaoping

Carter believed that China…

must be a central element of the US’s global strategy

Nixon's 1972 visit to China had…

brought Sino-American confrontation to an end but formal diplomatic relations had not developed

…acting as an obstacle to the normalisation of Sino-American relations

Taiwan

the USA’s support for Taiwan was considered…

an interference in China’s internal affairs

in December 1978 China & the US …

reached an agreement on Taiwan

what was the agreement on Taiwan?

Den conceded on China’s demand that the US should cease to aid Taiwan militarily & assured the US that the issue would be resolved peacefully

Formal diplomatic relations between China & the US were agreed and would take effect from…

1 Jan 1979