Everything you wanted to know about the Cold War (Key Topic 3), but were too afraid to ask...

This document is designed to give you an overview of the Cold War. It will contain information which you need to know in your exam. It is NOT everything you should know! You will need to use this knowledge as a basic idea and expand from there. Use it, read it, learn it.

1. You know the whole trying to destroy your way of life was a joke – right?

After nearly managing to destroy the world with the Cuban Missile Crisis, the 1960s and 70s saw an improvement in superpower relations. This period is known as Détente – which means a relaxing or easing of the tension between the USA and the USSR. The first signs we have already looked at with what happened after the Cuban Missiles Crisis: Hotline set up – 1962, Test Ban Treaty – 1963 (Don’t Test Nukes!), Non Proliferation Treaty – 1968 (Don’t share Nukes!)

Another sign of the improvement in relations between the two countries was how potential problems did not make them go back to a hostile relationship.

After replacing Khrushchev, the new leader of the USSR Leonid Brezhnev introduced the Brezhnev Doctrine promising to protect communist countries from capitalists. It did not get a reaction from America

The Vietnam War – Started in 1965 by America as they attempted to stop Vietnam from becoming communist. The war was going badly for the Americans and whilst there Soviets were helping their opponents, it did not lead to a problem between the USA and USSR

The Middle East – The USA gave a lot of military and financial support to Israel, whilst the Arab countries in the region looked to the USSR for the same support. Whilst the Israeli and Arabs had their own issues and wars with each other, the superpowers chose not to get involved

Czechoslovakia – As we have already seen, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia drew no response from the US.

1 - Trust. Détente style.

In 1969, the election of a new American President – Richard Nixon furthered the cause of détente as he believed it was important to improve trade and cultural links between capitalism and communism, which led to his visits to China and the USSR in 1972.

2. Enough Bombs to destroy the world 500 times? Silly! Enough to do it 300 times? Much Safer!

In May 1972 after 3 years of talks a set of agreements between the USA and USSR on the reduction of their nuclear arsenals were reached. This was SALT 1 – Strategic Arms Limitations Talks. The key agreements were:

ABMs – Anti Ballistic Missiles to be reduced. This meant the USA and USSR could not feel immune from nuclear attack and had to trust each other.

A 5 year freeze on the number of ICBMs (Inter Continental Ballistic Missile) and SLBMs (Submarine launched Ballistic Missile) that each side had.

Each side is allowed to use satellite’s on each other to check the agreements are being kept – otherwise known as they’re are saying it’s okay to spy on each other!

No limit on strategic bombers or MIRVs (Multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles). This meant both sides could still put any number of nukes on a plan and have more than 1 warhead on a missile, which meant that it was not all good!

The improvement in the relations between the 2 countries continued to the point that in 1974 President Nixon visited Brezhnev is Moscow and the two leaders agreed that they would do their best to try and remove the danger of war and limit the number of nuclear warheads everyone had. They also encouraged a number of links in sport, art, culture and technology – which again showed the improvements in the relations.

3. Lets agree to get along!For many, the high point in détente came in 1975 with the Helsinki agreements. The US and the USSR along with 33 other countries met to discuss 3 key issues and reached agreement on them that showed that progress was being made and there was good feeling after the agreements were signed.

2 - Saving the world. From themselves.

3. Let the good time roll...

Area Security Co-Operation Human RightsAgreement The borders of

the countries in Europe were recognised – which means they all agreed not to try and change them (no invasions. Yay!) The Soviet Union also accepted the existence of West Germany – hopefully meaning no more attempts to take West Berlin!

The countries all agreed to have closer cultural, economic and scientific links. By sharing ideas, money and technology they were showing a high level of trust and it was hoped it would lead to strong political agreement

Each agreed to respect some basic Human Rights – freedom of thought, speech, religion and freedom from unfair arrest. These were all things that were not common in the Soviet Union, so it was seen as a huge step forward.

After Helsinki things seemed to be going well. Even though there were still some issues about the Soviets respecting Human Rights both countries were happy enough to begin another round of SALT talks. The final agreements reach in June 1979 were:

Limit of 2400 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles (ICBMs, SLBMs and Bombers) – a step forward and this put a cap on the number of methods each side had of nuking each other.

1320 limit on MIRVs. Again, a step forward as it limits each sides ability to nuke!

Ban on construction of any ground based ICBM launchers – so they couldn’t all be fired

Limits on other non-nuclear weapons

All in all SALT II was a positive set of agreements. Both sides seemed keen on stopping the arms race. Yet it was never signed...

4. How to win friends and influence people...

In 1979 The Soviet Union launched an invasion of Afghanistan, which obviously did not go down well with America as it was a sign that they were trying to spread communism once again.

For the Soviets themselves, they saw it as simply following the Brezhnev Doctrine. There had been a Communist revolution in Afghanistan in 1978 and it was in danger. So they stepped in to help. The invasion had a number of effects – not only on relations between the USA and USSR but on the condition of the USSR

itself

In order to stop the mujahedeen (The Islamic Rebels trying to get rid of the Communists) the Soviets started by sending in 50000 troops.

The Soviets need to keep a standing army of 85000 troops to maintain control

The US responded angrily and when the Soviets did not back down they started to supply the mujahedeen with equipment and training

The US also offered support to nearby countries to make sure that the Soviets did not try and expand

In protest at the invasion, the US boycotted (refused to go to) the 1980 Olympics which were held in Moscow

The Soviets found it hard to establish order in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan and had to stay for 9 years (Sound familiar?!)

The invasion was also the reason that SALT II was never signed, and it lead to the US stopping trade with the Soviet Union. At the same time as the invasion – the US was having its own problems in Iran – American citizens had been taken hostage in the embassy and attempts to free them had failed dismally. The US was looking weak and the Soviets were getting aggressive - Détente was dead and the Cold War was back on.

5. The Evil Empire. Catchy name, right?In 1981 America elected a new President – Ronald Regan, who was to change the dynamic of the Cold War in the 1980s. Reagan believed that détente had failed. Epically. He wanted to take a tough stance with the Soviet Union and deal with them from what he called ‘A position of strength’ – basically meaning that America would always get what it wanted, otherwise, they weren’t going to do

anything with the Soviets!

This new approach to the cold war leads to a number of developments in the early 1980s

US defence spending increased dramatically. Reagan planned to spend 1 trillion dollars on number missiles/launchers and bombers

4. Friendly US - Soviet discussion

5. The Calm and sensible approach from Ronald Reagan

Soviet defence spending increased to try and keep up – which was to have a dramatic effect in the late 1980s

Regan labelled the Soviet Union as the ‘Evil Empire’ in 1982. This was to start a public name calling contest between the 2 countries. The best the Soviets came up with was describing Reagan as ‘insane, a liar and like Hitler’. Good times.

Reagan moved away from the idea of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) and instead liked the idea of NUTS (Nuclear Utilization Target Selection). What this really means is he thought that the US could win a small scale Nuclear War against the Soviet (which was NUTS) rather than any Nuclear War actually resulting in the end of the world (which was MAD) Simple, right?

Regan gave the Soviet Union the so called ‘Zero Option’ – he would not put new American missiles in Western Europe if the Soviets destroyed all their SS20 missiles. When the Soviets refused, Regan used this as an excuse to put more missiles than he originally planned in!

6. The Empire Strikes Back (Sorry. Couldn’t resist)Through the early 1980s, Reagan made some attempt at discussing the reduction of Nuclear weapons with the Soviet Union – START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) – but made sure relations between the countries were that poor that the Soviets ended up walking out. This gave Reagan all the excuse he needed to announce his Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) which

quickly earned the nickname Star Wars.6. Regan makes good use of Star Wars. True Story.

SDI (Star Wars)

What was SDI?A Space based missile defence system that would use lasers and satellites.

Why Set up?

Would give the US an advantage and force the Soviets to respond

Action of US Congress

Saw it gave the US advantage

Soviet ResponseAccused the US of weaponising space but had to spend money

7. Follow the Leader!Whilst the early 1980s saw a dramatic change in the US action in the Cold War and Reagan taking the view that he would deal with the Soviets from a position of strength, the Soviets were problems with its leadership. Mainly being that the guy in charge kept dying on them.

In November 1982 Leonid Brezhnev died and was replaced by Yuri Andropov. Andropov

managed to last 6 months before having to enter hospital and pretty much never leaving until he died in February 1984. The Soviets replaced him with Konstantin Chernenko (who was already 72!) and managed to last a whole 6 weeks before being hospitalised and again, pretty much never leaving until he died in March 1985. During this succession of old, ill and dead rulers there were 3 major events

1. A US-Soviet trade agreement in 1983. It was the biggest deal in the Cold War and helped both sides. It suggested they could perhaps still work together.

2. A Soviet boycott of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. In response to the American boycott in 1980 – the Soviets and the Warsaw Pact countries refused to attend the Olympics in the US

3. In 1985 there were protests in Europe and America about new Cruise and Pershing missiles being installed – part of a growing anti nuclear movement.

8. “If I can change and you can change, everybody can change!”

In 1985 the new leader of the Soviet Union was Mikhail Gorbachev who took power and dramatically changed the Cold War by following a whole new set of ideas

Action of US Congress

Saw it gave the US advantage

Soviet ResponseAccused the US of weaponising space but had to spend money

7. The Soviet Premiers. Handsome bunch.

8. Times they are a changing

Perestroika (Restructuring)

The Soviet economy was in ruins by the 1980s because of the Arms race and the war in Afghanistan. Gorbachev’s new idea allowed for a more capitalist approach to the economy to try and help the Soviet Union stop losing money

Glasnost (Openess)

People were given more freedom in their everyday lives. There was less control of the press and people were able to criticise the government. The irony was, the more freedom people got – they more they wanted and so the more the criticised Gorbachev!

Between December 2nd and 3rd, 1989, Gorbachev met with the new US President, George Bush in Malta. They declared that the Cold War was over, as Gorbachev announced:

"The world is leaving one epoch and entering another. We are at the beginning of a long road to a lasting, peaceful era. The threat of force, mistrust, psychological and ideological struggle should all be things of the past. I assured the President of the United States that I will never start a hot war against the USA."

In reply, President Bush said: "We can realise a lasting peace and transform the East-West relationship to one of enduring co-operation. That is the future that Chairman Gorbachev and I began right here in Malta.”

End the Arms Race

Gorbachev knew that the Arms race was going to ruin the Soviet Union so he wanted to stop it. In 1985 he met with Reagan in Geneva where the discussions were actually between the 2 leaders and not their advisors! Good progress was made and the 2 met again in Reykjavik in 1986 and 1987. This was when the INF Treaty was signed which actually led to the destruction of 846 American Nukes and 1846 Soviet Nukes. The arms race was at an end.

Abandon the Brezhnev Doctrine

Gorbachev stopped Soviet interference in the Satellite States as he knew that the Soviets could no longer support or control them. Between 1989 – 1991 the Satellite States embarked on a series of changes and reforms that saw them break away from the Soviet Union and become democratic, capitalist countries

1989 – Poland elects a non communist government 1989 – Hungary Opens its borders with the west November 1989 – Demonstrations in East Germany and Berlin for

free elections. No opposition from the Soviets leads to the Fall of the Berlin Wall and a unified Germany

1990 – Democratic elections in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia

As the Satellite Sates broke free – many people who were controlled by the Soviet Union but were not Russian wanted the same freedom. Between 1990 and 1991 the USSR broke up in 15 different countries. The Soviets were in no position to stop anyone leaving, nor did they want to.

Thus concludes everything you wanted to know about the Cold War and were too afraid to ask (Key Topic 3)... Hope it was useful!