Cold War History: Nuclear Arms Race, Detente, and the Fall of Communism

What doctrine continued throughout the 1960s and 70s regarding nuclear weapons?

Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.)

How many nuclear warheads were estimated to exist by 1986?

Around 50,000 nuclear warheads

Who was the 37th President of the United States?

Richard Nixon

What significant foreign policy did Nixon implement regarding military protection in Asia?

The Nixon Doctrine, stating the US will no longer provide direct military protection in Asia.

What major diplomatic action did Nixon take regarding China?

He visited Mao in Beijing in 1972, initiating diplomatic and economic relations.

What is 'detente'?

The easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries.

What was SALT?

Strategic Arms Limitations Talks, signed in 1972 by the US and Soviet Union.

What was the focus of Jimmy Carter's presidency in relation to foreign policy?

Human rights, while both the US and Soviet Union reinforced their nuclear and military strength.

What was Reagan's stance on the Cold War when he took office in 1981?

He took a hard line and openly called the Soviet Union an 'evil empire'.

What types of missiles did both the US and Soviet Union continue to build?

Strategic long-range missiles and continental ballistic missiles.

What reforms did Gorbachev implement in the Soviet Union?

Perestroika (restructuring) and Glasnost (openness).

What was the significance of the Berlin Wall built in 1961?

It symbolized the Cold War division between East (Communist) and West (Democratic).

What event marked the symbolic end of the Cold War in 1989?

The tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

Who was Boris Yeltsin in relation to Gorbachev?

He opposed Gorbachev and demanded independence for the Baltic States.

What happened on December 22, 1991, regarding the Soviet Union?

The Republics of the Soviet Union agreed to its dissolution.

What was the outcome of the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe?

Calls for free elections and the eventual collapse of communist regimes.

What did Gorbachev's reforms allow in 1990?

The legalization of the creation of different political parties.

What was the impact of Nixon's 1971 decision regarding China's entry into the UN?

It recognized the growing importance of China and marked a shift from a bi-polar world.

What was the significance of the SALT II treaty signed in 1979?

It aimed to limit the arms race between the US and the Soviet Union.

What did the US and Soviet Union focus on during the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks?

Limiting long-range nuclear weapons.