Notes for World History
DETENTE: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS FROM 1970s TO 1990s (2)
The USSR and the USA
- Earlier, they had made progress with the ‘hotline’ telephone link and the agreement to carry out only underground nuclear tests in 1963. In 1967, an agreement was signed to ban use of nuclear weapons in outer space.
- However, the first major breakthrough came in 1972 when the two countries signed Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, known as SALT 1, which slowed down the arms race.
- Another important step was the Helsinki Agreement (1975), which the USA, Canada, USSR and most European states accepted the European frontiers which had been drawn up after Second World War.
- However, détente did not succeed without some setbacks. For instance, in 1979, NATO became nervous at the deployment of Russian SS-2O missiles; again in 1979 Russian invasion of Afghanistan revived old western suspicions.
- The next few years referred to as ‘the second Cold war’ led to build up of nuclear arsenals, and a new weapons system known as ‘Star Wars’.
- Détente gathered momentum again under the new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev and the INF treaty was signed with the US. Further, USSR began withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.
