Lesson 5

Brief Revision of Term One

From Cold War To New World Order
Détente
The Last Gasp of the Cold War
 After WW II
 In term one we studied that the competition between
the super powers lead to many changes in the world:

I. Division of Germany into Four Parts

II. Establishment of the UN
III. Cold War
IV. The Division of Europe
V. Formal Division of Germany in Two Countries.
VI. NATO & WARSAW Pacts
VII. Nuclear Weapons & ICBM
VIII. Brinkmanship
 DETENTE
 Why did the superpowers want ‘a break’ from the Cold
War?

1. Opposition to the Vietnam War caused increased

tension within the U.S.
2. Many people in the S.U wanted to avoid another
crisis like the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia.
3. Leaders in both Moscow and Washington wanted to
slow arms race which they saw as dangerous and
expensive + superpowers had their eye on China.
 The Affairs among
China S.U. U.S.A
 Relations between China and S.U had grown worse
since 1950s because the Chinese challenged the
soviets for the leadership of the Communist world.
 In 1969 fighting broke out briefly along the
Sino-Soviet border.
 U.S took advantage of the split between the 2
communist powers and reopened diplomatic
relations with China.
 Chinese American friendship worried Soviet
Leaders.
DÉTENTE
 In 1972 Nixon and Soviet
leader Leonid Brezhnev
agreed to ease diplomatic
and military tensions President Nixon

between their countries

through what became
known as détente.

Leonid Brezhnev
 DÉTENTE
 Detente included:
1. Trade agreement between the superpowers.
2. Joint scientific experiments.
3. Agreement on nuclear arms.

The most significant US - Soviet Agreement was

the 1972 Strategic Arms limitation Treaty (SALT)
Aim:
It banned most antimissile systems and limited
the construction of offensive missiles.
 The Last Gasp of the Cold War
 Although détente lasted several years competition
between the superpowers continued and pushed
détente to its limits:
1. In Angola, civil war broke out between Soviet
sponsored and U.S backed opponents.
2. In Nicaragua and Iran Revolutions replaced pro-
American governments with governments hostile
to the U.S
3. End of détente came in 1979 when Soviet Army
invaded Afghanistan. Invasion convinced the
west that S.U remained aggressive as ever.
 The Carter Doctrine
 Growing Soviet Influence around the
Persian Gulf a major source of the
World’s oil was worrisome.
 As a result Carter Proclaimed what
became known as Carter Doctrine. President Carter

Any attempt by an outside force to gain control

of the Persian Gulf will be regarded as an
assault on the vital interests of the U.S.A and
such an assault will be repelled by any means
necessary, including military force.
The Carter Doctrine
 Carter also called for economic and cultural
sanctions against the Soviet Union including
a boycott of the 1980 Olympics held in
Moscow.

- Great Kremlin palace

 Soviet Reactions
 Confronted by such opposition, the Soviet
Union took a harder line against the west:
1. In 1981, Soviet leaders ordered the break
down of the Polish Communist unity.
Poland’s independent trade union, under the
leadership of Leech Walesa.
(lek vah-len-suh).
2. In 1983 a Soviet fighter plane shut down a
south Korean airliner that went into Soviet
airspace killing everyone on board including
many U.S citizens.
 U.S.A Reaction.
 President Ronald Reagan
(succeeded Carter) proved
even more determined in his
opposition to Soviet
aggression.
 Regan called the Soviet
Union “the focus of evil in
President Ronald Reagan
the modern World” “an evil
empire”.
 U.S.A Reaction
 President Reagan opposed the Soviets
by:

1. Restoring and increasing U.S defense.

2. Approving plans for research into space-

based weapons – called Star Wars – to
knock down enemy missiles before they
could strike the U.S.
U.S.A Reaction
3. Ordering secret operations against pro-
soviet government in Angola,
Nicaragua and Afghanistan.

4. Regan ordered invasion when Marxist

government took power in the island
of Grenada in 1983.
 Détente ended in the 1980s, as the
Soviet became more aggressive in their
foreign policy.
 Homework:
Read the lesson carefully and answer the following questions:

1. Why were both eastern and western powers willing to put

an end to the Cols War?
2. What was détente? What agreements did it include?
3. What was SALT? What was the goal behind it?
4. What were the three big changes in the world that
brought détente to an end?
5. Briefly explain Carter Doctrine?
6. How did the Soviets react in early 1980s against Western
oppositions ?
7. How did president Reagan oppose the Soviets?