Failure of Detente

August 1975

• West recognised frontiers of Eastern Europe and acknowledged Soviet influence in that area
• Soviets agreed to buy US grain and to export oil to the west
• All countries agreed to improve human rights - freedom of speech/religion/movement

Consequences 

• Eastern Europe campaign groups for greater freedom
• economic consequences in Eastern bloc
• allowed easter communist governments to borrow money from the West - huge debts

USSR

• Brezhnev wanted to exte to and peaceful co-existence policy and to persuade the West to accept Soviet control in the East
• Arms took up 20% of governement spending. Wanted to cut back military spending and improve living standards
• Iron curtain countries had very poor industrial efficiency and needed to trade more w/ West
• Quarelled w/ China and needed better US relations

USA

• Stagflation - rising inflation and economic stagnation = huge expediture and Vietnam War crippled USA economy
• Failure in Vietnam War had dented confidence and huge peace campaign > demanded end to US military aggression abroad

• Nixon and Kissenger (secretary of state) wanted better relations with the USSR and China
• Nixon announced the Nixon Doctrine - US sticking to treaty obligations and continue to hold a nuclear umbrella over the free world. 
• The US expected its allies to take care of their own defence
• 1972 - Nixon went to Moscow (1st trip to USSR by US president since 1945)
• 1974 - Brezhnev went to Washington
• 1972 - E and W Germany signed agreements on border - removed important source of tension and helped the Superpowers develop trade links
• USA and China relations improved
• 1971 - China could join the UN//US table team visited China//1972 Nixon visited
• July 1975 - 3 US and 2 USSR astronauts docked their apollo and soyuz space craft together

• Strategic Arms Limitations Talks 1972
• 5 years
• limited the inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs) both superpowers could hold
• each side could use spying satellites to check on the other side
• did not reduce existing stock of weapons

• W became frustrated at abusing human rights in the E
• In the E, dissidents (those who disagree with the gov.) were persecuted and suppressed. Many were exiled or imprisoned
• Brezhnev cancelled the USA trying to get human rights for Soviet Jews written into the trade agreement
• Suspicions to whether the E was holding up SALT 1
• SALT 1 ended in 1977
• Jimmy Carter attempted to reduce arms w/ SALT 2 
• Carter annoyed Brezhnev by trying to link cuts in weapons with discussions on human rights
• Agreement reached in 1979

• Afghanistans location offered a land route between the oi rich Middle east and the Soviet Union. It became under soviet influence in 1947 although the USA gave alot of aid to the country
• January 1979 the King of Iran was overthrown in a revoloution by fundamentalist Muslims - Anti American
• Afghanistan had an unstable government
• 1979 Amin seized power and named himself President - he was communist but not friendly with the S.U
• He was opposed by major muslim groups
• S.U feared these groups would take control of A and set up an Islamic State
• Large muslim populations lived on the Afghan and SU border which meant Afghan uprisings could have a knock on effect to the SU

• 25th December 1979 Soviets invaded
• Kabul airport was quickly captured
• 350 soviet aircraft carried in troops and equipment
• within a week 50000 soviet troops were there
• the presidents palace was captured and Amin was killed
• New years day 1980 a new government was set up in Kabul, led by Barack Karmal, former afghan leader who had been flown back from exile to take over the government

• Brezhnev announced his actions were necesary to restore order
• he claimed they entered at the request of Afghanistan, who wanted protection
• he claimed troops would be removed once the situation was stabilised
• US = angry (later claimed they tricked the USSR to invading)
• Carter saw it as a threat to world peace
• China promised to support the Mujahiddin - afghan fighters waging a guerrilla war in the name of Islam
• January 1980 pulled USA out of the Moscow Olympic games
• Described the SU as an unsuitable site for a festival meaning to celebrate peace and good will
• Advised the senates not to ratify the SALT 2 agreement
• Sent a US navy force of 1800 marines to the Arabian Sea to protect oil routes out of the Middle West 
• to inflict economic damage to the soviets, he cut trade between the superpowers and stopped export of 17 milllion tonnes of grain
• stopped sales of technological goods
• SU retaliated by accusing USA and China interference 
• Brezhnev denounced the USA as an absooutley unreliable partner whose leadership is capable of cancelling treaties and agreements (DETENTE COLLAPSED)

• Mujahidin knew the countries geography
• Used guerilla warfare tactics
• Attacked Soviet Supply routes and hid in mountains
• Spread themselves out
• Fighting a Jihad - emotionally commited
• People turned against soviets bombing homes
• 9 offences launched by USSR all failed

• Reagan President in 1981
• referred to the SU as the evil empire
• $178 to $365 billion in five years on arms spending
• New weapons such as the cruise missile
• NATO agreed 464 cms should be placed in the West
• Neutron bomb
• MX missile 
• 1983 strategic defence intiative
• Satellites orbiting the earth creating a huge laser shield to prevent nuclear missiles reaching the US
• 1982 Strategic Arms Reduction Talks
• Reagan demanded huge cuts in soviet nuclear capability
• Soviets pulled out of talks
• Soviets couldnt finance Star Wars
• 1982 R so aggressive that the SU thought he was secretely preparing war

• 1980 Polish protest movement in response to high prices and food and fuel shortages
• Shipward workers in Gdansk went on strike led by Lech Walesa who founded solidarity - first free trade union
• developed nationwide strikes and solidarity soon had a membership of 9 million
• Many Poles feared soviet invasion which didnt happen as they were Afghanistan but they took out 'training manouvres' near the polish border
• Comm polish leader Jaruzelski imposed martial law ( rule by the army )
• 10000 political opponant , including walesa, were arrested + solidarity was declared illegal
• 1982 Pope John Paul 2 (polish) met Reagan and discussed how they could destroy polish communism
• reagan poured money into solidarity
• pope encourage poles who were devout catholics to speak out about  their discontent and catholic priests worked as informants for the CIA
• Jaruzelskis attempts to destroy Solidarity failed 
• Walesa was put in prson by it made him more of a hero and the solidarity movement survived underground
• November 1982 walesa was released from prison 
• 1983 awarded a nobel peace prize