(History) The End of the Cold War

End of the Cold War @p0stc4rds_

Table of contents Detente Developments Long-term developments Short-term developments Final Developments of the CW 01 03 02 04

Detente Developments 01

Leaders during Detente pt. 1 Leonid Brezhnev (USSR) Richard Nixon (USA)

Detente! the easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries A shift in foreign policy that held that the USA and the USSR had the right to exist side by side as sovereign states and a period of time when there was reduced tensions between the USA and the USSR Was viewed more of a means of managing superpower competition without risking Mutually Assured Destruction rather than as a step of ending the Cold War

USA + USSR participated in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talk in May 1972 to reduce the number of nuclear weapons they possessed + signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (May 1972) that limited the number of nuclear anti-ballistic missile sites for both to two Arms control negotiations Soviet cooperation ending the Vietnam War USA’s prestige had been damaged by prolonged US involvement in the Vietnam War and enlisted the support of the USSR to convince the communist North Vietnam to negotiate a peace treaty to end the Vietnam War Trade negotiations Brezhnev agreed to repay WW2 debts to the USA (1972) + USA granted the USSR the most-favoured nation status to the USSR

People wanted the USA to be harsher in their support for human rights Jimmy Carter was elected president and his criticism of perceived human rights violations increased tensions between the superpowers Reasons for the stalling of detente Detente was seen as a huge compromise in favour of the Soviet Union

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979) : an international development that contributed to the stalling of detente as both superpowers continued to intervene in the internal affairs of other countries - USSR backed an inefficient but ruthless government, while the people supported rebellion religious fighters called the Mujahideen - USSR sent troops to restore order in Afghanistan - Invasion was heavily criticised and made Carter cancel ongoing arms limitation talks and imposed embargoes on grains and technology - When Thatcher (British PM) and Reagan (US Pres) came into power, they became more confrontational towards the USSR, ending detente

Long-term developments 02

How did the USA + allies gain economic superiority? Reagan Individual enterprise was encouraged instead of people relying too much on the government Economic Liberisation Reagan + ThatcherCutting national budgets and selling off national assets such as phone companies, oil companies and airlines Slashing of national budgets Western Europe + AlliesPlaced similar measures in terms of their budget + grown after the success of the Marshall Plan and helped contribute to USA’s economy growth Following the USA