1. IDEAS AND POLITICAL POWER: THE COLD WAR
HI021: AOS 1
IDEAS AND POLITICAL POWER: THE COLD WAR
Détente: The Afghanistan War, political instability in the Soviet Union, Polish ‘Solidarity’ and 1989

2. Today Détente The Afghanistan War
Political instability in the Soviet Union
Polish ‘Solidarity’
1989

3. Détente
Détente: relaxing of tension, esp. between nations, as by negotiations or agreements.

4. Détente: The Reasons
‘Thawing’ of tensions between China, USSR and USA in the 1970s: But WHY?
Vietnam war shocked people
Growing fear of nuclear holocaust
Began after Cuban missile crisis in 1963 when communications were improved between USSR and USA

5. Détente: Why was it attractive to the superpowers?
China:
Feared isolation from the world
Feared what US had done in Vietnam
Had far less nuclear weapons
USSR:
- Realising negative financial consequences of last 20 years
Poor living standards of Soviet people
Relationship with China deteriorating
USA:
Contemplating more effective ways of stopping spread of Communism
Cost of Vietnam war (economic and psychological)
Struggling with cost of maintaining armed forces and weapons

6. Proxy: An agent legally authorized to act on behalf of another party
Détente: The Treaties
Proxy: An agent legally authorized to act on behalf of another party
M.A.D (mutually assured destruction) treaties
1972: Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) between USA and USSR limiting ‘first strike’ capacity
1975: SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) limited the number of offensive weapons allowed
1979: SALT II intended to extend this but didn’t happen due to outbreak of Afghanistan War
Despite this, proxy wars were still occurring

7. Détente: The problems
PROXY WARS: 1973: Arab-Israeli War 1975: Conflict in Angola 1977 – 78: Somalia – Ethiopian War These tensions, particularly the Afghanistan War, made the Cold War détente problematic