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Why had Cold War tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union reached their peak in 1962?
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Why had Cold War tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union reached their peak in 1962?
Cold War tensions had reached their peak by 1962 because of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Define détente.
Détente is the French word for 'relaxation'. In a Cold War context, détente means to pursue a period of peace between two hostile countries.
Define MAD in the context of the need for détente.
MAD stood for Mutually Assured Destruction. This is a theory that nuclear weaponry is so devastating that no government wants to use them. In the 1970s, the USA and the Soviet Union did not want to fulfil MAD.
When did Richard Nixon become the US president?
Richard Nixon became the US president in 1968.
By 1968, the USA was involved in the costly war in . This motivated the USA to pursue détente.
By 1968, the USA was involved in the costly war in Vietnam. This motivated the USA to pursue détente.
In 1968, what issue other than the Vietnam War was causing Americans to protest across the USA?
The issue that was causing Americans to protest was the lack of civil rights for Black Americans.
In the 1960s, were the standards of living in the Soviet Union higher or lower than those in the USA?
Lower.
Houses in the Soviet Union were unsafe. People in the Soviet Union had harsh and dangerous working conditions.
Define GDP in the context of the Soviet Union in 1960s.
GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product. It is the value of all goods/services produced in a country in a specific period of time. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union was spending 20% of its GDP on its defence budget.
As the communist economy was not growing in the 1970s, the Soviet Union could not sustain their .
As the communist economy was not growing in the 1970s, the Soviet Union could not sustain their military spending.
Define 'Ostpolitik'
'Ostpolitik' means 'Eastern Policy'. Ostpolitik developed into the concept of pursuing a better relationship with East Germany.
Did 'Ostpolitik' have a positive or negative impact on US-Soviet relations?
Positive.
Ostpolitik encouraged West European nations to build better relations with the satellite states of Eastern Europe.
Define SALT.
SALT stands for the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty.
What was the aim of SALT?
The aim of SALT was to reduce the amount and types of nuclear weapons available to the USA and Soviet Union.
When was SALT 1 signed?
SALT 1 was signed on 26th May 1972.
Which three weapons did SALT 1 limit?
The three weapons that SALT 1 limited was:
Anti-Ballistic Missiles.
Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles.
Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles.
The ensured that the USA and the Soviet Union developed actions to avoid nuclear warfare. This treaty also set out 'rules' if future conflict occurred.
The Basic Principles Agreement ensured that the USA and the Soviet Union developed actions to avoid nuclear warfare. This treaty also set out 'rules' if future conflict occurred.
True or False?
A weakness of SALT 1 was that it did not limit Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles.
False.
SALT 1 did not restrict new technology like Multiple Independently Targeted Re-Entry Vehicles (MIRVs).
Which two leaders signed SALT 2 on 18th June 1979?
The two leaders that signed the SALT 2 treaty was Jimmy Carter (USA) and Leonid Brezhnev (Soviet Union).
SALT 2 wanted to ensure that the USA and the Soviet Union had equal limits of and missile launchers.
SALT 2 wanted to ensure that the USA and the Soviet Union had equal limits of strategic bombers and missile launchers.
What was a significant weakness of SALT 2?
A significant weakness of SALT 2 was that the treaty never received ratification from the US Senate. As a result, the treaty was never upheld by either the USA or the Soviet Union.
By 1979, had US-Soviet relations improved or worsened?
Worsened.
The US government began to turn against the Soviet Union as the Soviet Union had become more aggressive.
When did the Helsinki Accords occur?
The Helsinki Accords occurred in August 1975.
How many representatives met in 1973 to begin discussions for the Helsinki Accords?
In 1973, 33 representatives of the Warsaw Pact and NATO nations began discussions for the Helsinki Accords.
Define 'baskets' in the context of the Helsinki Accords.
Baskets were topics which the organisers of the Helsinki Accords organised their agreements into.
State the three 'baskets' of the Helsinki Accords.
The three 'baskets' of the Helsinki Accords were:
European borders.
Cooperation between East and West.
Human rights.
The USA and the Soviet Union launched a joint . This mission was named the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
The USA and the Soviet Union launched a joint space mission. This mission was named the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
Define human rights in the context of the Helsinki Accords.
Human rights are the basic freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death. Basket Three agreed to respect human rights. However, Soviet politicians did not want to respect their people's human rights.
True or False?
The politicians did not want to accept the Soviet Union's borders, especially in Africa.
False.
The politicians did not want to accept the Soviet Union's borders, especially in Eastern Europe.
The Helsinki Accords signified hope for better in the future.
The Helsinki Accords signified hope for better US-Soviet relations in the future.
Why did Middle Eastern countries influence how safe the leaders of the Soviet Union felt?
Middle Eastern countries influenced how safe the leaders of the Soviet Union felt because the Soviet Union bordered Middle Eastern countries like Iran and Afghanistan.
Define Islamic Fundamentalism in the context of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Islamic Fundamentalism is a belief in the traditional and literal translations of the Quran and the Sunnah. A revolution in Iran removed the Shah and established an Islamic Fundamentalist government.
Define buffer zone in the context of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.
A buffer zone is an area of land that separates two other areas and that is designed to prevent fighting or harm coming to something. Afghanistan became a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and Iran.
When did Amin topple the pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan?
Amin toppled the pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan in September 1979.
Define the Mujahideen.
The Mujahideen were guerrilla fighters in Islamic countries, especially those who are fighting against non-Muslim forces.
When did Soviet troops invade Afghanistan?
Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan on 24th December 1979.
In , President Carter informed the US public of the USA's response to the Soviet Union. This became known as the Carter Doctrine.
In January 1980, President Carter informed the US public of the USA's response to the Soviet Union. This became known as the Carter Doctrine.
What did the Carter Doctrine state?
The Carter Doctrine stated that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was the biggest threat to world peace since the Second World War and the US would protect the Persian Gulf.
Why was the USA interested in protecting the Persian Gulf after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
The USA had an interest in protecting the Persian Gulf as it contained a significant amount of oil.
True or False?
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan marked the end of détente.
True.
President Carter withdrew from SALT 2, marking the end of the collaboration between the USA and the Soviet Union.
Did the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan increase or decrease Cold War tensions?
Increase.
The USA and the Soviet Union were more confrontational with each other.