Why did the USA & the Soviet Union Attempt to Reduce Tension? (Edexcel GCSE History)

Was the 1970s the Right Time to Pursue Détente? - Summary

How did the Cold War Cause Détente?

• Since 1945, US-Soviet relations had been tense. Both countries competed against each other to become the biggest superpower. The USA and the Soviet Union developed powerful nuclear weapons that could destroy the world

• Cold War tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union had reached their peak in 1962

  • Both countries had narrowly avoided nuclear warfare over the potential of Soviet missiles in Cuba

US-Soviet relations between 1947 and 1970

• By the 1970s, the two countries needed détente

  • The USA and the Soviet Union could not allow Cold War tensions to increase to the levels during the Cuban Missile Crisis

    • A war between the two countries could result in the use of nuclear weapons and fulfil the threat of MAD

  • 'Relaxation' of US-Soviet relations involved:

    • The mutual reduction of the amount of nuclear weapons

    • The establishment of respect and trust between the two countries

Social Issues Within America in the 1960s

• The domestic situation in the USA motivated the government to pursue détente

• In 1968, Richard Nixon became the new President of the United States. When Nixon became president, the USA was experiencing many issues

  • The USA was involved in the war in Vietnam

    • Just in 1968, the USA spent $84 billion on its military. As a result, the US government was in a large amount of debt

    • 60,000 US soldiers died in the conflict

    • The Vietnam War was very unpopular with US citizens. There were mass protests in the USA to force the government to withdraw US troops from the conflict

  • The USA experienced severe racial tensions

    • The lack of civil rights for Black Americans caused conflict on the streets of the USA. The assassination of civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, increased tension

    • In 1968, black Americans were rioting across the USA

The Soviet Union's Economic Issues in the 1960s

• By the end of the 1960s, the Soviet Union's economy was poor

  • The Five Year Plans were not helping to improve the Soviet Union's economy

    • 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 in the Soviet Union were unsafe

    • People in the Soviet Union had harsh and dangerous working conditions

    • Human rights were abused in the Soviet Union

  • 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

• By the 1970s, the Soviet Union saw an opportunity to pursue better relations with the USA

  • The Vietnam War showed that an enemy could defeat the US army

  • The Soviet Union believed their nuclear technology was as developed as US nuclear technology

The Impact of 'Ostpolitik' on US-Soviet Relations

• In 1969, West Germany elected Willy Brandt as Chancellor of West Germany

• He believed in Ostpolitik - meaning 'Eastern Policy' 

  • Ostpolitik developed into the concept of pursuing a better relationship with East Germany

• Ostpolitik had a positive impact on US-Soviet relations

  • Ostpolitik encouraged West European nations to build better relations with the satellite states of Eastern Europe

  • Brandt's policy reduced the tension between the USA and the Soviet Union over Berlin

• In 1973, Nixon and his national security advisor, Henry Kissinger, visited the Soviet Union

  • This visit marked the commitment that both countries had to the process of détente