Development & Impact of the Cold War: Detente
"The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the other, whom he assumes to have perfect vision."
Henry Kissinger (1923- ), Foreign Policy Specialist and former Secretary of State
Introduction
The policy of détente refers to the time in the 1960s-1970s when the two superpowers eased tension and tried to cooperate to avoid conflict in the Cold War. A number of events happened during this time period that illustrates this new policy.
Both countries stood to gain if trade could be increased and the danger of nuclear warfare reduced. In addition, Nixon--a candidate for reelection--was under fire at home from those demanding social change, racial equality, and an end to the Vietnam War. The trip to Russia, like his historic trip to China a few months earlier, permitted him to keep public attention focused on his foreign policy achievements rather than his domestic problems. Nixon's trip to China had also heightened the Soviets' interest in détente; given the growing antagonism between Russia and China, Brezhnev had no wish to see his most potent rivals close ranks against him. On 22 May 1972, Nixon became the first U.S. president to visit Moscow. He and Brezhnev signed seven agreements covering the prevention of accidental military clashes; arms control, as recommended by the recent Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT); cooperative research in a variety of areas, including space exploration; and expanded commerce. The SALT treaty was approved by Congress later that summer, as was a three-year agreement on the sale of grain to the Soviets. In June 1973, Brezhnev visited the United States for Summit II; this meeting added few new agreements, but did symbolize the two countries' continuing commitment to peace. |
Task 1: Why Detente?
Instructions:
Instructions:
- Read the following sources: Chapter 13 "History - 20th Century World: The Cold War (purple text)", pages 410 to 411 of the text "Modern World History (blue text)", "Detente 1971-1979.pdf", "Detente.pdf", "Detente And A New Cold War.pdf" and the latter section of "The Vietnam War.pdf".
- Complete the following diagram by identifying the reasons why the superpowers pursue a policy of detente (see below).
- Re-arrange the following sets of reasons according to the model (see diagram titled “Detente Activity 2”).
Detente Activity 2
In June 1973, Brezhnev visited the United States for a second summit with Nixon. During that visit, he warned Nixon that America's perceived bias in favor of Israel over Arab interests was putting a strain on Détente in the Middle East. When the October War (between Egypt and Israel) broke out, it nearly derailed Détente. Both superpowers aided their allies in the region and for a while, nuclear confrontation appeared to be a real possibility.
Summit III, in June 1974, was the least productive; by then, the SALT talks had ground to a halt, several commercial agreements had been blocked in Congress because of Soviet treatment of Jews, and the Watergate investigation was approaching a climax.
Following Nixon's embattled resignation in August 1974, his successor, Gerald Ford, made it clear to the Soviets that his new administration was still committed to Détente. At a summit with Brezhnev in Vladivostok, held in November, an agreement for a new arms limitation treaty was reached in principle, although it would be a long time before the details could be hammered out. |
In the summer of 1975, after more than two years of discussion, representatives from Canada, the United States, and 33 European countries met in Helsinki, Finland, to sign an agreement to settle postwar borders. The final act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe consisted of three "baskets." The first consisted of practical measures regarding security. Existing borders were confirmed and the parties pledged peaceful settlements of disputes. The second dealt with cooperation in terms of trade, culture, science and industry. The third addressed humanitarian concerns and called for free movement of peoples and circulation of ideas.
SALT II finally produced an accord in June 1979. President Jimmy Carter presented it to the Senate for approval, but opposition delayed ratification. The atmosphere turned very chilly after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December, and in January, Carter asked the Senate to suspend consideration until a more opportune time. That time never came.
When Carter was succeeded by Ronald Reagan, the presidency passed to someone who had never approved of the concept of Détente and who brought about the largest peacetime military build-up in the nation's history during his first years in office.
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Under Reagan, who emphasized military preparedness as the key to Soviet-American relations, détente as Nixon had envisioned it came to an end.
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Task 2: Achievements of the Detente
Instructions:
Instructions:
- Read the following sources: Chapter 13 "History - 20th Century World: The Cold War (purple text)", pages 410 to 411 of the text "Modern World History (blue text)", "Detente 1971-1979.pdf", "Detente.pdf", "Detente And A New Cold War.pdf" and the latter section of "The Vietnam War.pdf".
- Complete the following table by identifying the achievements of Detente (see below). Make sure in your explanation you emphasize why it was a success/significant in the development of the Cold War (the pictures on the table are optional).
Task 3: Why Did Detente Fail?
Instructions:
Instructions:
- Read the following sources: Chapter 13 "History - 20th Century World: The Cold War (purple text)", pages 410 to 411 of the text "Modern World History (blue text)", "Detente 1971-1979.pdf", "Detente.pdf", "Detente And A New Cold War.pdf" and the latter section of "The Vietnam War.pdf".
- Complete the following diagram by identifying the underlying causes for the failure of Detente (see below).
- Read the following article titled "The Fall of Detente" by John Lewis Gaddis to answer the bottom half of the diagram.
detente.ppt | |
File Size: | 5217 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
Exam Questions
Paper 2: Topic 5 - The Cold War
May Exams
November Exams
Paper 3 Questions
Paper 2: Topic 5 - The Cold War
May Exams
- Evaluate the role of one superpower in the Cold War after 1970. (May 2005 & 2007)
- Analyse the importance of détente in ending the Cold War. (May 2006)
- Explain the meaning of two of the following and show how each affected the development of the Cold War: containment; brinkmanship; non-alignment; détente. (May 2008)
- Define, and analyse the importance of, two of the following: (a) containment (b) COMECON (c) détente (d) east European satellite states. (TZ2 May 2009)
- Why did détente develop between 1969 and 1979? (TZ1 May 2010)
- Assess the achievements and limitations of détente between 1969 and 1979. (TZ2 May 2010)
November Exams
- Analyse the factors which led to the ending of the Cold War. (Nov 2005)
- To what extent was the collapse of communist regimes the result of domestic problems rather than external pressures? (Nov 2007)
- Why did the Cold War end? (Nov 2008)
- For what reasons, and with what results, did either the USA or the USSR enter into a period of détente from 1970? (Nov 2009)
- To what extent was the arms race the principal reason for the end of the Cold War? (Nov 2009)
- In what ways, and with what success, did the US and the USSR attempt to reduce Cold War tensions between 1956 and 1979? (Nov 2011)
Paper 3 Questions
- “The history of European cooperation between 1957 and 1975 was harmonious and successful.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? (Nov 2006)