Studied by 2 people
the reasons for renewed hostilities and developments, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; new personalities, including Reagan, Thatcher and Pope John Paul II; the crushing of Solidarity in Poland; the shooting down of KAL 007
Eisenhower Doctrine, 1957
any Middle Eastern country can request aid from US if it was being threatened by armed aggression
Evidence of USA containing Soviet influence in Middle East after Suez Crisis 1956?
Nasser received aid and military support from the Soviets
USA began to offer significant support to Israel in 1960s (but didn’t want to alienate Arabs due to oil)
Six Day War, June 1967
Israel attacked after Egypt increased troops in Suez
Israel wins against multiple Arab states, trebles in size and humiliates the Arab world
USA imposes trade embargo on Middle East
Why doesn’t Sadat (new President of Egypt) like detente?
thought Soviet valued relationship w USA more
corrective revolution in Egypt
Sadat expelling all Soviet personnel from Egypt
However, Soviets continued to provide military support which is used to plan 1973 Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War, Oct 1973
coincided with Ramadan so it was unexpected
initially went well using Soviet weapons
However, Israel mobilised quick and came within 65miles of Cairo
‘we cannot allow arbitrariness on the part of Israel’ - Brezhnev
implies bombing, USA goes to DEFCON 3
UN brokered ceasefire in 25 Oct after first ceasefire came to nothing
Brezhnev is responsible for this = increases confidence in intervention in the 3rd world
1973 Oil shocks
OPEC raising oil prices in angry retaliation of USA’s support of Israel
raised from $3/barrel to $5/ barrel
raised from $5/barrel to $11.65
supplied 17% of US oil
Consequences of the 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict
undermines but does not destroy process of detente
USA increases influence in ME
Recession in USA due to oil shocks (and Vietnam)
Spread of mixed economy within EE
Neo-conservatism in the Cold War
political thinkers who moved from left wing to right wing anti-Soviet nationalism in response to the cold war
viewed USA as only nation capable of shining moral light of truth as a beacon for all to follow
polarising force of evil which all could unite against = USSR
Reagan
Iranian Revolution, Jan 1979
Aug 1953: CIA backed coup placed the Shah in control in Iran, ran brutal, repressive regime
Jan 1979: Shah overthrown by radical Islamic fundamentalists, replaced by Ayatollah Khomeini
Nov 1979: US embassy in Tehran stormed in protest of the Shah being given cancer treatment in the US, 52 US citizens and diplomats taken hostage
24 Apr 1980: failed attempt to rescue hostages = Operation Eagle Claw
hostages held for 444 days, released mins after Reagan is sworn in (Iran-Contra deal)
Significance of the Iranian Revolution, 1979
the Carter Doctrine, 1980
Iran taking US hostages now made them an enemy of USA
Afghan Revolution, 1978
Apr 1978: Taraki (who USSR is not fond of) overthrows President Daoud Khan
introduces land reform, improved status of women
Brezhnev felt his reforms were too quick and radical and threatened stability of the country
Dec 1978: Treaty of Friendship signed with USSR, began to receive Soviet political and military advisers to help defeat Islamist risings in the rural areas
Mujahideen and tribal resistance
Significance of Iranian and Afghan revolutions
Muslims = 20% of USSR
fears that Islamic fundamentalism will spread to the Muslim satellite states of USSR and threaten the USSR
When and how was Taraki replaced?
assassinated by Hafizullah Amin on 8 Oct 1979
became leader
= changes Brezhnev’s decision on invasion
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, 1979
25 Dec 1979: USSR invades
27 Dec 1979: Amin killed by KGB agents
Jan 1980: Soviets select Babrak Karmal to head govt
now 85 000 Red army troops in Afghanistan
Brezhnev argued that this was consistent with the Basic Principles 1972, with military intervention preventing Afghanistan from becoming hostile
Consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
1980 Moscow Olympics boycotted by USA
international protests, damaged relations with neutral countries (Pakistan, Iran etc)
SALT II negotiations stopped and never ratified by US
Grain and tech held back from USSR
cost of war added to USSR’s economic problems
reinforced need for USA to strengthen relations with China
Carter Doctrine, 1980
END OF DETENTE
23 Jan 1980, reasserted Truman-Eisenhower-Kennedy style containment policy, representing commitment to prevent further Soviet expansion into Persian Gulf and SW Asia = led to build up of US strategic forces
fundamental shift in Soviet-American relations
viewed by USSR as deliberate end to detente
Characterise Reagan’s 2 terms (81-84) and (85-89)
1st term: tough, confrontational, militaristic, cold warrior
2nd term: much softer approach
Zero Option, Nov 1981
Reagan offered to cancel deployment of Pershing II and cruise missiles in W Europe if USSR would remove all its SS-20 missiles (~600) targeted on Western Europe
rejected by Brezhnev, as he believed that rough nuclear parity will always threaten USA, which benefits him
Reagan’s ‘devil theory’
Cold War was a moral war and USA had moral duty to invest in nuclear weapons in order to defend ‘liberty’ from the ‘evil’ Soviet Union
Star Wars, 23 March 1983
announced the Strategic Defence Initiative = turning point in the arms race
would essentially make Soviet nuclear missiles useless and therefore force USSR to disarm
broke terms of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty
Operation Able Archer, Nov 1983
military exercise by NATO forces simulating escalation to DEFCON 1
led USSR to believe this was a build up to war and nuclear forces in GDR and Poland were put on alert
= brought world closest to nuclear war since CMC and forced USSR and USA to the negotiating table
Reagan’s ‘evil empire’ speech, 8 March 1983
compared communism to fascism
declared cold war as more than an arms race, but a moral war
quoted the Bible and made various references to God, morality and good vs evil
How much did Reagan spend on arms build up?
$2 trillion
Reagan Doctrine, 1985
US would openly support anti-communist ‘freedom fighters’ who battled the Soviets or Soviet backed govts
CIA funnelled aid to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, and the Contras in Nicaragua, commitments which prevent American soldiers from dying on foreign lands
KAL 007, 1 Sept 1983
S Korean airliner accidentally strayed into Soviet airspace and was shot down by USSR who thought it was a spy plane, killed 269 civilians
called ‘barbaric’ by Reagan and Andropov declared he will no longer do business with the Reagan administration
SS-20s
Soviet missiles that could reach any target in Europe from Soviet territory
How was the Soviet Union a gerontocracy?
run by old people! esp Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko who died one after the other
Andropov era (Nov 1982-Feb 1984)
wanted to restore détente but failed to improve relations with USA
introduced changes to improve short-term economic performance
experimented with policies to reward greater efficiency and productivity
1983, national income grew by 3% and harvest was the best for a number of years
began long overdue replacement of aged personnel in Soviet elite with younger, dynamic people
promoted Gorbachev through Soviet heirarchy, allowing him to take over after Chernenko
Chernenko era (Feb 1984- March 1985)
increased KGB pressure on dissidents
tried to restore ideological conformity by banning foreign music and unlicenced videos
only exacerbated tensions with USA
boycotted 1984 LA Olympics
advocated more investment in consumer goods and services in agriculture
What had both Chernenko and Andropov realised about the Soviet Union?
aware that changes needed to be made, BUT were unable to actually bring these about (due to age? dogmatism?)
Reagan’s foreign policy address, Jan 1984
in response to the significant tensions of 1983
softening approach to USSR after US had regained its strength
US missiles deployed in Europe, US economy has seemingly recovered, Western alliance appeared to be unified
How much had USSR spent on satellite states and proxies?
North Vietnam = $8b
Ethiopia during Ogaden War, 1977 = $7b
Eastern Europe = $17b per annum
Cuba = $5b per annum
20% of GDP annually was spent on the military
= USSR did not have the consumer economy to fund this
Note 
Flashcard (72)