CW3 - Attempts to Reduce Tension

What were the causes of Detente?

Avoiding nuclear war, nuclear weapons were costly and both sides had other expenses, USA had seen large-scale anti-war and anti-nuclear weapon demonstrations, USA involvement in Vietnam War was expensive, USSR had economic problems and needed funds to improve living standards.

When was SALT 1 signed?

1972

What did SALT 1 agree?

No further production of strategic ballistic weapons, no increase in number of intercontinental ballistic weapons (though new ones could replace old), no new nuclear missile launchers, new nuclear submarines only allowed as replacements for existing, and Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty limited both sides to two ABM deployment areas?

What did SALT stand for?

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty.

What was the significance of SALT 1?

Slowed down arms race by placing limits on number of bombers, ICBMs and SLBMs each side could have, led to further negotiations that in turn led to SALT 2 in 1979, ensured neither side had a decisive advantage in strategic nuclear weapons, but did not cover intermediate nuclear weapons which both sides continued to deploy in Europe during the late 1970s.

When were the Helsinki Accords?

1975

How many countries signed the Helsinki Accords?

35 countries

What were the three baskets of the Helsinki Accords?

European borders couldn’t be changed by war, economic and scientific cooperation, and human rights.

What was the significance and limitations of the Helsinki Accords?

Helped USA and USSR to form a stable relationship, represented high point of detente, coincided with US-Soviet cooperation such as Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975, a joint space mission, USSR continued to focus on Eastern bloc countries and apply the Brezhnev Doctrine, USA continued to prioritise interests in countries it could influence, such as Chile and El Salvador.

What did SALT 2 agree?

Based on 1974 Vladivostok Accords, each superpower limited to 2250 warheads, imposed limits on new launch systems including multi-warhead missiles.

When was SALT 2 signed?

1979

Why did SALT 2 never happen?

It wasn’t ratified by the US senate so it never became an official US policy.

What was the significance of SALT 2?

Some West German politicians opposed it as they feared it would weaken the defence of West Germany, some US politicians thought it made too many concessions with the USSR.