Leaders - USA Leaders - USSR

Key Events of the Cold War

1933-45: Franklin D Roosevelt

Tehram Conference (1943)
Yalta Conference (1945)

Potsdam Conference and dropping of the atomic bombs (1945)

Long telegram Novikov telegram and Iron curtain speech
Soviet Expansion (1940s)
Truman Doctrine (1947) and Marshall Plan (1948) 1922-53: Josef Stalin
1945-53: Harry Truman Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-9) Formation of NATO (1949)

Formation of the Warsaw Pact (1955)

Hungarian Uprising (1956)
Cuban Revolution (1959)
1953-61: Dwight Eisenhower Berlin Wall (1961)
Bay of Pigs (1961)

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Hotline and Test-Ban Treaty (1963)

1956-64: Nikita Khrushchev
1961-63: John F Kennedy
Outer Space Treaty (1967)
Prague Spring and Czechoslovakian Uprising, Brezhnev Doctrine (1968)

Détente (1970s)
SALT 1 (1972)
1963-69: Lyndon B Johnson Helsinki (1975)

1969-74: Richard Nixon

SALT 2 (1979)

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (1979) 1964-82: Leonid Brezhnev

1974-77: Gerald Ford Moscow Olympics (1980)

Los Angeles, USA Olympics (1984)

1977-81: Jimmy Carter

Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)
Unification of Germany (1990)
Collapse of USSR and dissolution of the Warsaw Pact (1991)
Nov 1982-Feb 1984: Yuri Andropov, Feb 1984-Mar 1985:
1981-89: Ronald Reagan Konstantin Chernenko

1989-93: George H W Bush 1985-91: Mikhail Gorbachev

 Ideological Differences
 The key reason the Cold War started between the USA and USSR was because of their completely different opinions
on how to run a country…
Aspect: USA USSR
Democratic – elected by the people who One Party Dictatorship – People could only
Type of Government
had a CHOICE of candidates vote for the Communists
Capitalist – private individuals owned
Economic System Communism – everything was own by the state
industry and kept profits
The freedom and rights of each person
Individual rights were closely controlled by the
were considered important and
Individual Rights state because the most important thing was
Americans didn’t like the state interfering
the good of the society as a whole.
with their lives

 Both sides believed their way was correct and both became deeply fearful of the other. The Americans feared
Communism would spread (Domino Theory) and the Soviets claimed they just wanted to protect themselves from
future invasions.
 Importance:
 The Grand Alliance
Grand Alliance = members of the USA, Britain and the USSR. Created in 1941 to
defeat Nazi Germany

 Why did the Grand Alliance break down?

 Difference in beliefs about Germany: e.g. USSR said Germany should have to pay reparations,
ensuring that it is never strong enough to start another war. Britain wanted Germany to rebuild
so they could trade with them.
 Differences in beliefs about Europe: e.g. USA and Britain wanted Europe to be democratic. USSR
believed in a communist ‘democracy’.
 Nuclear weapons: e.g. the USA dropped atomic bombs on Japan and this gave them an
unbeatable advantage (at first).
 Stalin and Truman’s relationship: e.g. he was meant to hold free elections in Europe (as decided
at Yalta) but he didn’t. Truman was very suspicious of the USSR and this increased tension.
Because Truman had the atomic bomb, he felt he could push Stalin around at the Potsdam
 The Tehran Conference (1943)
 A meeting of the Big Three - Stalin (USSR), Churchill (Britain) and Roosevelt (USA)
during the Second World War (Nov/Dec 1943) to discuss how to defeat Germany.
 Agreements at Tehran:
 USA and Britain would attack Germany from the West (and open up a second front).
 USSR would declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated.
 Poland would gain territory from Germany and lose it to the USSR.
 An international body (the UN) would be set up to settle future disputes.
 Importance:
 Stalin is very happy about the USA and Britain fighting Germany from the West.
 There was some tension between the USA and Britain. The USA wanted Britain to end the
British Empire.
 The USSR and USA were becoming the 2 real superpowers of the world.
 The Yalta Conference (1945)
 A meeting of the Big Three - Stalin (USSR), Churchill (Britain), and Roosevelt (USA)
just before the end of the Second World War (Feb 1945) to discuss what to do with
Germany after defeat.
 Agreements at Yalta:
 Germany and Berlin to be divided into 4 zones.
 Nazi war criminals to be hunted and put on trial.
 Free elections to be held in East Europe (the areas Stalin and the Red Army were
liberating/freeing from the Nazis).
 Stalin agreed to enter the war against Japan.
 Germany to pay reparations (although the amount was to be agreed later).
 Importance:
 Tension not that evident at this meeting.
 The Potsdam Conference (1945)
 A meeting of the Big Three - Stalin (USSR), Attlee (Britain) and Truman (USA) in July 1945 to confirm
decisions made at Yalta now Germany had been defeated.
 Agreements at Potsdam:
 Germany and Berlin to be divided into 4 zones.
 Nazi war criminals to be hunted and put on trial. Ban the Nazi party.
 A Council of Foreign Ministers was set up to organise the rebuilding of Europe.
 Disagreements/problems at Potsdam:
 Stalin had NOT held free elections in Eastern Europe as agreed in Yalta
 Stalin was even more suspicious of USA after they successfully tested the Atomic Bomb (16th July).
 How much they should make Germany pay in reparations.
 Importance:
 Clear evidence of tension between the two sides. Disagreements starting to arise.
 Truman dislikes Stalin because he thinks the USSR are trying to take over Eastern Europe and spread
communism.
 Stalin dislikes Truman because the USA had tested the atomic bomb just before the conference, and Stalin
 The Dropping of the Atom Bomb (1945)
 The Americans dropped two atomic bombs on Japanese cities (Hiroshima on 6th August
and Nagasaki on 9th August 1945). The USA did this because they wanted to end the
Second World War.
 Importance:
 Showed the military dominance of USA.
 Tension increased because Stalin was furious that he had not been told about the
use of the atomic bomb on Japan. Stalin became very distrustful of the USA as he
believed the USA were showing the USSR how powerful they were. As a result, Stalin
stated trying to control Eastern Europe further to feel more secure.
 Started the arms race (the USSR responded by testing their own atomic bomb by
1949) so made the world more dangerous.
 May have made the world safer because countries become less likely to use these
sorts of weapons because of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction - that both
countries would be destroyed if there were to be a nuclear war).
 Changes nature of warfare forever.
 It made the Western European countries feel they had US protection.
 Soviet Expansion (1944-49)
 Between 1944 and 1949, as the Soviet army freed each country (e.g. Albania,
Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia)
from the Germans they remained in control and set up communist governments in
each country. More and more countries in Eastern Europe became Communist and
under the USSR’s control.
 Stalin was determined to maintain the security of the USSR and prevent future
invasion because around 20 million Soviet citizens had been killed in the Second
World War. Stalin wanted a buffer zone for protection.
 Importance:
 Americans were worried by Domino Theory and communism spreading through
Europe. Led to the USA attempting to stop the spread of communism
(containment) with the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan.
 Showed that Stalin lied at Yalta – he had promised to hold free elections in Eastern
Europe but he hadn’t, increasing tension and worsening the US-Soviet relationship.
 The USA viewed this as expansionist and aggressive. This increased rivalry
between the USA, Britain and the USSR (Led to Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech the
Long Telegram).
 The Iron Curtain Speech (1946)
 A speech (given on 5th March 1946 in Fulton, Missouri, USA) by Churchill claiming
that an imaginary divide had been drawn between communist governments in
the East and the democratic governments in the West. Churchill called for an
alliance of the West to resist Communism spreading and claimed the Soviet
Union was a threat to world peace because he feared the domino theory.

 Importance:
 An open declaration of the difference between East and
West and showed there was a clear division in Europe. It
made the Cold war real.
 Led to the USA attempting to stop the spread of communism
(containment) with the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan.
 The Long Telegram (1946)
1
 A telegram sent from George Kennan (an American representative in
the US embassy in Moscow, USSR). It said that Stalin wanted to
destroy capitalism and the USA. It recommended firm action against
Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe.
 Importance:
 Confirmed Truman’s suspicions of Stalin. He saw Stalin as aggressive and
insisted that only a hard-line approach would prevent Soviet expansion.
 Led to the USA attempting to stop the spread of communism (containment)
with the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan.
 Worsened the US-Soviet relationship, created more tension and led to the
 The Novikov Telegram (1946)
2
 A telegram sent from Nikolai Novikov (the Soviet ambassador to the
USA). It was sent in response to the Long Telegram and said the USA
wanted to dominate the world and that American people would
support a war against the Soviet Union.
 Importance:
 The telegram made Stalin and the Soviet Union believe they needed as much
protection in Eastern Europe as possible so Stalin continued to build his buffer
zone.
 This worsened the US-Soviet relationship further and created more tension.
 The Truman Doctrine (1947)
 President Truman gave a statement on 12th March 1947 in which he openly stated that it
was America’s job to contain Communism (containment), stop the domino theory and to
help countries that felt threatened by it spreading (e.g. Greece and Turkey). The US granted
$400million to help these countries. (Note: Truman did not mention Communism or the
USSR but it was obvious he was referring to them).
 Importance:
 Tension increased massively. The USSR saw this as a declaration of war.
 Further evidence of division between East and West.
 It was the first time the USA were directly getting involved to stop the spread of communism. Truman
declared he was not prepared to allow communism to triumph and was prepared to CONTAIN it.
 Did stop the spread of communism; because of the money they were given, the Greek government
were able to defeat the communists.
 Led to the Marshall Plan and Stalin setting up Cominform/Comecon in response.
 The Marshall Plan (1948)
 A policy linked with the Truman Doctrine where the USA offered $13billion for 16
European countries (including Britain, France and West Germany). Officially, it was to
help European countries build up agriculture and industry after Second World War, and
to raise standards of living. In reality, it was to prevent countries becoming communist
because poorer countries were attracted to communist beliefs.
 Importance:
 The USSR saw this as the Americans “buying” allies. They called it “dollar imperialism”.
 Tension rose significantly because the USSR viewed this as an aggressive action by the USA. It was further
evident of the USA extending their political and economic influence in Western Europe.
 Led to further division between East and West because Stalin did not allow Eastern European countries to
join. Stalin also went to set up his equivalent: Cominform and Comecon.
 Showed that Truman was prepared to put into practice his policy of containment.
 Did stop the spread of communism; helping West European countries meant communism didn’t spread
there.
 Cominform (1947) & Comecon (1949)
 Stalin set up two organisations in response to the USA’s Truman Doctrine and
Marshall Plan:
 COMINFORM (Communist Information Bureau): Set up in 1947 to enable the USSR to co-
ordinate communist parties throughout Europe. They wanted to ensure the states in Eastern
Europe followed Soviet aims in foreign policy.
 COMECON: Set up in 1949 to encourage communist countries to trade with one another. Plans
were also put in place to increase production across Eastern Europe in joint industrial planning
ventures. They wanted to stop the satellite states being tempted by the Marshall Plan.
 Importance:
 Gave Stalin more control over communist countries and showed he would stand up to
Truman’s “aggression”.
 Increased tension further.
 Led to the USA and Western Europe forming NATO.
 The Berlin Blockade and Airlift, 1948-49
 Causes:
 Germany and Berlin were divided into 4 zones of occupation at Yalta/Potsdam.
 The USA and Britain joined their zones to form Bizonia, then France joined to form Trizonia. In
June 1948, the Western Powers announced plans to introduce a new currency.
 Events:
 The Blockade: Because Berlin was in the Soviet zone, Stalin blocked all land routes in and out
of West Berlin (hoping they would give in and he would get Berlin to himself).
 The Airlift: The Allies airlifted in supplies for 10 months. Thousands of tonnes of supplies were
flown in daily to support the West Berliners via the air corridors.
 Consequences/Importance:
 Made the USA appear peaceful and generous because of the airlift; Truman saw it as a victory.
 Made the USSR appear aggressive and threatening because they tried to starve the West
Berliners; Stalin saw it as a humiliation.
 Germany became 2 states in 1949 which confirmed its divisions: West Germany (FRG) and East
Germany (GDR).
 During the blockade the USA formed NATO to counter the Soviet threat. The USSR responded
in 1955 by forming the Warsaw Pact.
 The Formation of NATO (1949)
 The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is a military alliance/pact in
which countries promised to support others if attacked. It was created in
April 1949 in response to Stalin’s blockade of West Berlin. The first 12
countries included Britain, USA and France. In 1955 West Germany joined.
 Importance:
 Meant the USA could build military bases in Western
Europe (including nuclear weapon bases). This worries
the USSR.
 A military alliance meant an attack on one member would
be an attack on all so there was a threat of a world war
(possibly a nuclear war).
 Stalin saw it as deliberately provocative.
 Clear division of Europe into two camps.
 When West Germany was allowed to join in 1955, it led
to the formation of the Warsaw Pact.
 Nuclear Arms Race
 Throughout the Cold War, a ‘race’ between East and West to get the best nuclear
weapons.
 Atomic bomb (USA 1945, USSR 1949)
 Hydrogen bomb (USA 1952, USSR 1953)
 ICBMs Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (USSR 1957, USA 1959)
 Importance:
 This is what made the Cold War so dangerous (e.g. Atom bomb = 20,000 tons of TNT. Hydrogen
Bomb = 10,000,000 tons of TNT). Both sides had enough weapons to destroy the other multiple
times over. Any military confrontation between both sides could escalate to nuclear war.
 Increased rivalry and tension between the two superpowers as they were competing directly
against each other.
 May have made the world safer because countries become less likely to use these sorts of
weapons because of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction - that both countries would be
destroyed if there were to be a nuclear war).
 Economic/financial strain on both (especially the USSR)
 The Formation of the Warsaw Pact (1955)
 To rival NATO, the USSR set up a military alliance/pact of communist
countries. Described as a “Treaty of Friendship”, it allowed Khrushchev
to have control over other Communist countries as well as station
troops in their countries.
 Importance:
 A military alliance meant an attack on one member would be
an attack on all so there was a threat of a world war (possibly
a nuclear war).
 Clear division of Europe into two camps.
 Meant Khrushchev could station Soviet troops in Eastern
Europe to reinforce buffer zone, therefore it strengthened
Soviet military control.
 Peaceful Coexistence and Destalinisation (1950s)

 When Stalin died in 1953, Khrushchev eventually emerged as the new

leader of the USSR. He appeared to want to ease the tension and had a
policy of ‘peaceful coexistence’.
 Khrushchev’s ‘secret speech’ in 1956 hinted that Soviet control would relax.
 He also introduced destalinisation which included re-naming places and
buildings (e.g. Stalingrad became known as Volgograd), pulling down Stalin’s
statues and improving prison conditions.
 Importance:
 Seemed to be a ‘thaw’ in the Cold War (like a shorter, earlier version of détente).
 Encouraged countries (e.g. Hungary) to make changes with this “softer” leader. Led
 The Hungarian Uprising (1956)
 Causes:
 Hungarian people were unhappy with Soviet rule (e.g. powers of the secret police, low living standards, censorship .etc.).
 Hungary had a strict, hard lined communist leader called Rakosi.
 Events:
 Demonstrations against Soviet control began. There were riots in the capital, Budapest, and police clashed with protesters.
 Imre Nagy was put in place as prime minister. He was a moderate communist and people preferred his way of ruling.
 Nagy announced that he intended for Hungary to leave the Warsaw Pact. Khrushchev feared that if this happened, then other
Eastern European countries might follow, an there would be a significant gap in the ‘iron curtain.’
 The Soviets invaded Budapest with 1000 tanks on 4 November 1956.
 Consequences/Importance:
 Around 5,000 Hungarians were killed (mostly civilians).
 200,000 refugees fled Hungary.
 Imre Nagy was tried and executed. Khrushchev said his death was a ‘lesson to the leaders of all communist countries.’ Nagy was
replaced by a strict communist, Janos Kadar.
 Khrushchev came out strong as the other Warsaw Pact members knew they had to do as they were told. Showed the Soviets
were determined to keep control over the satellite states.
 Eastern European countries were less likely to resist because they knew the USA would not help them. It was clear the USA
would not risk nuclear war. The USA would contain Communism to stop it spreading but would not go into a country where it was
 Refugee Problem in Berlin (1950s)
 Communist East Germans suffered a low standard of living. They were monitored by a secret police and
there was no freedom of speech. As a result millions left the East for West Germany or West Berlin.
Khrushchev could not allow this to continue as this was a propaganda disaster as people were choosing
capitalism over communism.
 Khrushchev’s Berlin Ultimatum said:
 Berlin should be demilitarised and western troops withdrawn.
 Berlin should become a free city (Khrushchev didn’t really want Berlin to be “free” but he really hoped it would all
become Communist).
 The West had 6 months to make these changes.
 Importance:
 East Germany’s small population couldn’t cope with people leaving (especially educated and skilled workers). This is
called the ‘brain drain’.
 The USA felt the USSR trying to spread communism through Khrushchev's Berlin Ultimatum.
 Both countries wanted to avoid war over this due to the nuclear threat so this led to summit meetings being held to
solve the ‘Berlin problem’
 The Summit Meetings (1959-61)
 Geneva Summit Meeting 1959:
 No agreement reached so they organised to meet again.
 Camp David Summit Meeting 1959:
 President Eisenhower (USA) met Khrushchev (USSR) for the first time.
 Still no agreement on Berlin (although Khrushchev's Berlin Ultimatum was withdrawn) and a further
meeting was agreed.
 Paris Summit Meeting 1960:
 During the summit meeting a US U2 Spy Plane was shot down over the USSR. Eisenhower refused to
apologise and Khrushchev walked out of the meeting. No decisions were made and it was very
tense.
 Vienna Summit Meeting 1961:
 John F Kennedy was now the US President and Khrushchev felt he could push around the
inexperienced President. Kennedy didn’t want to look weak and relations with Khrushchev
 The Building of the Berlin Wall (1961)
 Causes:
 Marshall Plan meant West Berlin was doing very well. Over 2 million people had deferred from East to West (many were
educated or skilled workers so this was called the brain drain).
 The summit meetings failed to come up with a solution for Berlin.
 Events:
 Overnight, on 14th August 1961, a barbed wire fence was put up which divided East and West Berlin (and went around
West Berlin).
 This was gradually replaced with concrete which was more permanent and heavily guarded.
 Some people tried escaping East Berlin (few were successful, others were shot trying to cross).
 Consequences/Importance:
 The wall was successful in stopping refugees leaving which solved the refugee crisis. But, West Berlin was completely cut off from
East Germany.
 Made the USSR look weak because they had to put up a wall to keep their people in a communist state, and then when they did
try to cross they would shoot them.
 The wall was a propaganda victory for the West. Kennedy looked like he had stood up to Khrushchev. He made his famous ‘Ich bin
ein Berliner’ (I am a Berliner) speech in 1963 which showed the USA and the West was united against communism. Making his
speech in West Berlin showed he was prepared to defend West Berlin from communist attack.
 Berlin was divided in this way until 1989; there were also two Germanys. The Berlin Wall was a symbol for the division in the Cold
 The Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)
 Cuba had been taken over by Fidel Castro in 1959. Kennedy did not want communism so close to the
USA. Kennedy was advised by the CIA that if USA sent troops to support an overthrow of Castro, it
would work.
 Kennedy decided to train and then send Cuban exiles (men who had been forced to leave Cuba as they
disliked Castro) back to Cuba to try and overthrow Castro. This way the USA could claim they were not
involved
 The attempted invasion was a failure because:
 The Cuban exiles had little military experience compared to the Cuban army.
 Castro was tipped off about the invasion so moved his planes and ordered soldiers to wait for the Cuban exiles (who
couldn’t even get off the beach).
 Paratroopers landed in the wrong place.
 Boats got stuck on the coral reefs.
 Importance:
 Led to Castro asking for weapons (not nuclear) from USSR. The relationship between the USSR and Cuba became stronger which in
turn made communism appear stronger.
 America looked ridiculous
 Many blamed Kennedy for not being tough enough. Kennedy also appeared weak because the invasion was such a failure.
 The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
 Causes:
 In 1959, the dictator of Cuba, Batista, was overthrown in a revolution by Fidel Castro. Castro seized all
American land and took control of American businesses in Cuba. USA stopped trading sugar with Castro. Castro
became friendly with USSR.
 Bay of Pigs Invasion.
 Events:
 16th October 1962: American U2 spy plane photographs missile launch sites in Cuba.
 22nd October 1962: Kennedy announces a naval blockade around Cuba (so he doesn’t look weak!) and says no
ships could pass the blockade.
 24th October 1962: USSR’s ships reach blockade
 26th October 1962: First letter sent: Khrushchev says he will remove the missile bases on Cuba if Kennedy ends
the blockade.
 27th October 1962: Second letter sent : Khrushchev says he will remove the missile bases if the USA promise to
remove their missile bases in Turkey.
 28th October 1962: Agreement reached: Kennedy agreed to the first letter in public, and the second letter in
 The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
 Consequences/Importance:
 The world came very close to nuclear war. (E.g. Kennedy said if the USSR crossed the blockade he would see it
as an act of war – but they didn’t. Also, a U2 spy plane was shot down over Cuba and the pilot killed – but
Kennedy chose to ignore it to avoid war).
 Led to détente so relations did improve as a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They had realised how
dangerous nuclear war could be, and how easily it could have happened.
 A direct telephone line (the hotline) was set up between the White House in Washington and the Kremlin in
Moscow so both leaders could communicate directly and avoid future conflicts.
 A Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1963 which said that both sides would not test nuclear weapons in space,
underwater of in the atmosphere.
 In 1967 they signed the Outer Space Treaty where they agreed not to use space for military purposes.
 The 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty meant not sharing nuclear technology.
 Kennedy had shown himself to be a strong leader. His popularity increased especially as no-one knew he had
removed the missiles from Turkey and he had stood up against communism.
 Khrushchev looked weak as he had withdrawn the missiles from Cuba. It led to Khrushchev being dismissed
as leader in 1964.
 Causes:
The Czechoslovakian Uprising (1968)
 The leader of Czechoslovakia (Novtony) as unpopular because he was a hard-lined communist. Many Czech people wanted more
democracy.
 The Czech economy was in serious decline in the 1960s. Czech people became very poor and the people suffered low living standards.
 Events:
 The Prague Spring: These were reforms that were introduced to Czechoslovakia to give its people a better quality of life. Alexander
Dubcek called these reforms ‘socialism with a human face’. They were still communist but not as harsh as before. For example;
censorship was relaxed and people had greater freedom; many powers of the secret police were removed; trade with the West was
increased; Dubcek promised that Czechoslovakia would not leave the Warsaw Pact.
 The Soviet Invasion: In August 1968, 5000 Warsaw Pact troops entered Czechoslovakia. Soviet tanks took over the centre of the Czech
capital city, Prague, and thousands of Czech people were arrested. The Czech people responded passively by putting flowers in the
hair/helmets of the Soviet soldiers and on their tanks.
 Consequences/Importance:
 The Soviet invasion ended the Prague Spring and things were put back to ‘normal.’
 Dubcek was arrested and dismissed from the communist party. Gustav Husak (a hardliner communist) replaced him.
 The Brezhnev Doctrine said if any country tried to leave the Warsaw Pact they would be forced to stay using whatever means
necessary. This could have led to nuclear war. It also meant the USSR stayed in control behind the Iron Curtain.
 The Czech people became more resentful (angry) of Soviet rule.
 Caused tension and worsened relations between East and West because the USA and other Western governments were outraged by
the invasion and many of them made strong protests to the Soviet Union. But, they offered no military support (so the USSR knew they
were not prepared to get involved in the USSR’s business).
 Détente (1970s)
 Détente means a period of peace/relaxing tension between two countries previously hostile. It
was an attempt by both the USA and USSR to release tension in the 1970s.
 Both sides wanted détente because of they had enough nuclear weapons to wipe each other out
so they feared nuclear war, and both wanted to reduce arms spending to improve their economies.
 Some features of détente were:
 Ping pong diplomacy: improved relations between the USA and China – e.g. the US table tennis team visited
Beijing, China.
 High hand shake: American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts met up and shook hands in space.
 President Nixon (USA) visited Moscow in 1972 and 1974, and China in 1972.
 Also, SALT1, Helsinki Agreements and SALT2…
 Consequences/Importance:
 Showed both sides wanted a relaxing of tension to ease the Cold War. Both sides were willing to work
together on a number of ventures.
 Ultimately, détente fails by 1979.
 SALT - Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
 SALT 1 (1972):
 They signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty that said they could only have 2 ABM sites with a maximum of 100
missiles at each site.
 The Interim Treaty set the amount of ICBM (inter-continental ballistic missiles) and SLBM (short-range light ballistic) missiles
each country could have.
 The Basic Principle Agreement agreed they would not put nuclear weapons on the seabed & would always try to avoid war.
 Consequences/Importance:
 Both countries wanted to build on this positive start so they met for the Helsinki Accords.
 Both countries still had enough nuclear weapons to destroy one another and a signed piece of paper couldn’t guarantee they would not go
to war.
 The agreements made did not cover the most up to date technology such as the MIRVs (multi independently targetable re-entry vehicle)
that carried multiple nuclear warheads on a single missile so not entirely successful.
 Due to the weaknesses of SALT 1, a second meeting, SALT 2, was arranged.
 SALT 2 (1979):
 Restrictions on strategic bombers and missile launchers.
 Ban on testing new types of ICBMs.
 Agreement would last until 1985.
 Consequences/Importance:
 The US Senate refused to ratify (agree to) SALT 2 after the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan so it was never actually passed.
 Helsinki Agreement
 NATO and Warsaw Pact countries wanted to build on the co-operation of SALT 1. They
reached 3 major agreements that were described as baskets:
 Basket 1: Borders of countries cannot be moved. So the USA accepted where the borders of the
USSR were & the USSR accepted they couldn’t take more land
 Basket 2: They would make trade deals, technology exchanges & do a joint space mission
 Basket 3: They agreed to accept human rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of
movement
 Consequences/Importance:
 Outcome for USSR:
 Happy with basket 1 and 2 as their territory is guaranteed and increased trade will boost their economy.
Concerned with basket 3 as it could undermine Soviet authority.
 Outcome for the USA:
 Happy with basket 3 as this could undermine Soviet control in Eastern Europe and concerned with basket 1
 The Afghanistan War (1979)
 Causes:
 Communism: Afghanistan became communist in 1978. The USSR wanted to keep the communist
government but the Mujahidin didn’t like it because it went against their Muslim religion. A civil war
broke out between the communist leaders and the Mujahidin.
 Geography: Iran and Pakistan had Muslim governments and bordered Afghanistan which threatened
the communist government.
 The USSR were afraid President Amin of Afghanistan was becoming too friendly with the West.
 Events:
 On Christmas Day 1979, 80,000 Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan. They quickly captured the capital
city (Kabul) and troops were airlifted in.
 President Amin was assassinated and replace by Babrak Karmal (all before the end of 1979).
 The Soviets launched 9 major offensives between 1980 and 1985 but failed to be successful against the
revolutionary Mujahidin.
 The invasion led to increased nationalist feeling as the Mujahidin remained in control of the countryside
 The Afghanistan War (1979)
 Consequences/Importance:
 The Mujahidin (Muslim rebels) proved they could be successful against a vastly superior and richer force
because they used guerrilla warfare (irregular, carried out by small forces) against the Soviet forces; they
believed they were fighting a Holy War (jihad) so if they died fighting they would go straight to paradise; they
were provided with weapons by the USA, Britain and China; they knew the geography of Afghanistan very well.
 Détente collapsed.
 The war was condemned by Jimmy Carter (US President).
 The Carter Doctrine – the USA extended its policy of containment to the Middle East, increased spending on weapons and
said that the USA was prepared to use force to stop any country from gaining control over the oil rich states of the Middle
East.
 Formed an alliance with China and Israel to support the Mujahidin rebels against the USSR.
 Olympic boycotts.
 Deaths
 15,000 Soviet troops were killed, 30,000 injured.
 1million Afghans died (including children) – USSR had bombed villages, destroyed homes and there was starvation across the
country.
 Afghanistan started to hate foreigners and became the terrorist training capital of the Middle East.
 The Soviets spent billions on this war – it had a terrible effect on the Soviet economy.
 The Olympic Boycotts
 The USA boycotted (refused to attend) the 1980 Moscow Olympic games because
the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan. 60 other countries supported this move.
 The Soviet Union responded by boycotting the Olympic games held in Los
Angeles, USA, 4 years later in 1984. 15 communist countries also did not attend.
 Importance:
 Détente was officially over. Tensions had increased because of the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan and this confirmed it.
 The Moscow Olympic games looked second rate which was embarrassing for the USSR as
they could not show off communism.
 The fact that 60 countries backed the USA’s decision to boycott the Moscow Olympics
showed how much power and influence they had (compared to the USSR).
 Reagan’s policies
 Evil Empire Speech (1983)
 Reagan gave a speech to a Christian group in which he described the Soviet Union as ‘the Evil Empire’ and said that American forces
represented the good in the world.
 Importance: An open declaration of hatred from the USA. It also showed that Reagan was not even trying to be diplomatic. It was a key
reason in causing the ‘Second Cold War, sometimes known as the ‘Renewal of the Cold War.’
 Money on weapons (1980s)
 In 1982, 13% more was spent, with a further 8% in 1983 and 1984. They built new weapons such as the Trident submarine and stealth
bomber.
 Importance: Showed that, after SALT 1 and 2, the USA were happy to continue the arms race. Led to the USSR trying to build more
weapons to try and keep up with the USA.
 Reagan Doctrine (1985)
 Reagan said that the USA would not only support anti-communist governments but also help groups attempting to overthrow
communist governments (e.g. in Grenada)
 Importance: Showed the USA as an aggressive force. Whereas before, their job was to contain communism, they now said that they
would help countries get rid of it which could lead to a lot more fighting and deaths if the USA decided to invade other communist
countries.
 Strategic Defence Initiative (1983)
 Also called the ‘SDI’ or ‘Star Wars’ programme. This involved placing satellites in orbit which carried lasers that could shoot down Soviet
missiles.
 Importance: Clear indication that the USA had won the space and arms race and that the USSR were miles behind. The USSR would
 Gorbachev’s policies
• INF Treaty (1987)
– INF stood for Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces. The INF Treaty was agreed between the USA and USSR and it got rid of all 500-5500km
nuclear missiles each superpower had. It resulted in lots of missiles in Europe being destroyed.
– Importance: Led to the collapse of the USSR because they were not a threatening superpower anymore so they didn't have the same hold
over the satellite states.
• Scrapping the Brezhnev Doctrine
– Gorbachev allowed for small reforms to happen as a way to end unrest in Eastern Bloc countries (such as Poland). They also could trade
with the West to rebuild their economy.
– Importance: Led to the collapse of the USSR because it allowed the Eastern Bloc countries to see behind the Iron Curtain and beyond the
communist economic systems they had been tied to. Some countries demanded more than just small reforms; they wanted more.
• Glasnost (1985)
– Soviet policy of openness of discussion of political and social issues. It meant people could say what they thought; they could even criticise
the government and have more freedom of media.
– Importance: Led to the collapse of the USSR because the leaders of the Eastern Bloc countries began demanding more freedom and
greater independence.
• Perestroika (1985)
– Soviet policy of restructuring the Soviet economy and political systems. It also allowed for economic competition between businesses.
– Importance: Led to the collapse of the USSR because the new economic policies were not working and the economy was still performing
poorly, meaning that people became unhappier as living standards got worse. This actually led to more demands for further reform.
 The end of Soviet Control in Eastern Europe
 Berlin Wall comes down (1989)
 Demands for change had been building in Germany. The East German leader (Honecker) resigned. USSR was no longer forcing
East Germany to stay so the wall was pulled down.
 Importance: Families and friends were reunited. The wall coming down was seen as the symbolic end to the Cold War.. Germany
was reunified (one country with Berlin as the capital). Soviet troops withdrew. British, French and US troops remained.
 End of Soviet control in Eastern Europe (1989-1991)
 Communist governments began to fall (e.g. in Czechoslovakia, Hungary .etc.)
 Importance: The satellite states were now free to control themselves and did not need to fear the USSR trying to stop them. They
soon started to give their citizens more individual freedoms and improve their living conditions.
 End of the Warsaw Pact (1991)
 The Warsaw Pact helped USSR keep control and offered them extra protection in war.
 Importance: With the USSR no longer controlling the other communist countries the Warsaw Pact was officially ended in July
1991. The division of Europe was over. There were no longer two armed camps (NATO and the Warsaw Pact). The Iron Curtain
had come down.
 Gorbachev falls from power (1991)
 Gorbachev had not intended for all the satellite states to break away. He had hoped reforms would once again strengthen
communism but this hadn't worked like this. Gorbachev could not continue and resigned. Boris Yeltsin became leader of the new
Russia.
 How did each Eastern European country fall from
communism?
 Poland: Free elections were held in Poland in 1989. A party called Solidarity won and Lech
Walesa was elected as the first non-communist leader in the Warsaw Pact countries.
 Hungary: In 1989 the government took down the fence along the border with non-communist
Austria, opening the border. Free elections were held in 1990.
 Czechoslovakia: There were demonstrations in Czechoslovakia. In 1989, Havel (supported by
Dubcek) led the Velvet Revolution. Communism collapsed in Czechoslovakia and free elections
were held.
 East Germany: Fall of the Berlin Wall symbolised the end of division in Germany. East and West
Germany were formally united in 1990, becoming one country.
 Romania: There were demonstrations against the communist government. The police dealt with
protests violently. The communist dictator Ceausescu was overthrown, arrested and executed.
 Bulgaria: The communist leader Mladenov resigned on live national television in 1989 knowing
that communism was now weak in Eastern Europe. Free elections were held in 1990.