Reasons for Détente (AQA GCSE History) : Revision Note

Was the 1970s the right time to pursue détente? - Summary

Détente is the French word for 'relaxation'. In a Cold War context, détente means to pursue a period of peace between two hostile countries.

The 1970s provided the perfect opportunity to improve US-Soviet relations. The stockpiling of nuclear weapons was one of the causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Through narrowly avoiding nuclear warfare, the USA and the Soviet Union had more motivation to form better relations. Both countries agreed on the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). The term means that the USA and the Soviet Union recognised that they held enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other. 

By the 1970s, the USA and the Soviet Union faced challenges within their own countries. The nuclear arms race distracted the leaders of the USA and the Soviet Union from serious domestic concerns. Pursuing détente allowed both countries to resolve their internal issue. Cold War tensions resumed in the 1980s.

China-Soviet Split

• Sometimes called the 'Sino-Soviet Split'

• Refers to the growing tension between China and the Soviet Union during the 1960s

• The split occurred because:

  • Mao believed the Soviet Union under Khrushchev had become too soft and was betraying true communist values

    • Mao also disagreed with peaceful co-existence with the West, which Khrushchev promoted

• Relations became so bad that, in 1969, there were armed clashes along the Ussuri River on the border between China and the USSR

  • This broke down the two countries' diplomatic relationship

Why did the China-Soviet Split help détente?

• The China-Soviet Split caused a division in the communist world

  • The Soviet Union no longer had full control or support from other communist countries

• As a result, the Soviet Union was more open to improving relations with the USA through détente

  • They wanted to avoid isolation and balance the growing threat from China

• The USA also saw an opportunity

  • They improved relations with China

    • In 1972, President Richard Nixon became the first US president to visit China

Consequences of the Vietnam War

• The Vietnam War was long, costly, and unpopular in the USA

  • Over 58,000 American soldiers died

  • Just in 1968, the USA spent $84 billion on its military

  • There were mass protests in the USA to force the government to withdraw US troops from the conflict

• The war damaged America’s reputation around the world and caused deep divisions at home

Why did the end of the Vietnam War help détente?

• After the war, the USA was more cautious about getting involved in further conflicts

  • This encouraged peaceful diplomacy over direct confrontation

• The USA hoped détente would reduce the chance of another war like Vietnam

Issues with nuclear weapons

• Both the USA and the USSR had stockpiled nuclear weapons

  • By 1967, the US possessed 31,255 nuclear warheads

  • In comparison, the Soviet Union had an estimated 8,400

• These weapons were so powerful they could destroy both countries many times over

Why did the risk of nuclear warfare help détente?

• The fear of a nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis made both sides realise they needed to control the arms race

• Reducing the risk of nuclear war became a top priority during the 1970s

  • This led to agreements like SALT I

Economic issues in the 1970s

The Soviet economy

• The Soviet economy was struggling, especially with the cost of keeping up in the arms race

  • The Soviet Union was spending 20% of its GDP on its defence budget

    • As the communist economy was not growing, the Soviet Union could not sustain this military spending

• The country produced very poor quality consumer goods in comparison to the USA

  • This limited the Soviet Union to selling products within their own country

• The standard of living in the Soviet Union was lower than in the USA

  • Houses were unsafe

  • People had harsh and dangerous working conditions

  • The government abused their citizens' human rights

The US economy

• After the Vietnam War, the US government was in a large amount of debt

• The US also faced rising amounts of inflation

  • This made the cost of living in the USA higher than it had been before the war

Why did economic issues help détente?

The Soviet Union

• Détente gave the Soviet Union a chance to:

  • focus on fixing their economy

  • get access to Western trade and technology

The USA

• Détente gave the USA a chance to:

  • reduce their military spending

  • focus on their domestic issues after the Vietnam War