The Cold War Thaws

The Big Idea

The Cold War began to thaw as superpowers entered an era of uneasy diplomacy.

Why It Matters Now

The U.S. and former Soviet Union countries continue to cooperate and maintain peace.

Key Terms and People

  • Nikita Khrushchev

  • Leonid Brezhnev

  • John F. Kennedy

  • Lyndon Johnson

  • Détente

  • Richard M. Nixon

  • SALT

  • Ronald Reagan

  • Margaret Thatcher

Setting the Stage

  • The Soviet Union kept a firm grip on Eastern European satellite countries, directing their economies to meet Soviet needs.

  • This hampered Eastern Europe's economic recovery.

Soviet Policy in Eastern Europe and China

  • More moderate Soviet leaders allowed satellite countries some independence, but the Soviets clamped down on protests.

  • Tensions with China also diverted Soviet attention.

Destalinization and Rumblings of Protest

  • Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin, starting destalinization and calling for "peaceful competition" with capitalist states.

  • Protests in Hungary in 1956 were crushed by Soviet forces.

The Revolt in Czechoslovakia

  • Leonid Brezhnev repressed dissent.

  • Alexander Dubček in Czechoslovakia introduced reforms during "Prague Spring," but Warsaw Pact nations invaded.

  • Brezhnev justified this with the Brezhnev Doctrine.

The Soviet-Chinese Split

  • China resented Soviet leadership and spread its own communism.

  • The Soviet-Chinese split led to fighting along their border.

From Brinkmanship to Détente

  • In the 1970s, the U.S. and Soviet Union moved to lower tensions.

Brinkmanship breaks down

  • Brinkmanship led to crises and the threat of nuclear war.

  • The Cuban Missile Crisis brought the superpowers to the brink.

The United States Turns to Détente

  • The U.S. backed away from confrontation with the Soviet Union due to protests during the Vietnam War.

  • Détente, a policy of lessening Cold War tensions, replaced brinkmanship under Richard M. Nixon.

  • Realpolitik guided Nixon's approach.

Nixon and Brezhnev Sign SALT and ABM Treaties

  • Nixon visited Communist China and the Soviet Union, signing the SALT I Treaty limiting missiles.

  • The ABM treaty aimed to deter nuclear war.

  • In 1975, nations signed the Helsinki Accords, committing to détente.

The Collapse of Détente

  • Relations improved under Nixon and Ford, but Carter was concerned about human rights violations in the Soviet Union, leading to a strained relationship.

  • In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, leading to the collapse of détente.

  • Reagan Increases Pressure

  • President Ronald Reagan increased military spending and proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), dubbed “Star Wars.”