Why did the cold War thaw in the 1970s?

LO: Explain how the Cold War progressed after Vietnam

Study source A. What reasons does it give to suggest that people should vote for the liberals? [8]

Study source A. What reasons does it give to suggest that people should vote for the liberals? [8 marks]

Level 1 – Simple assertions based on surface reading of the source. [1-2]

Level 2 – Reasons based on reading of the source but with supporting evidence from either the source or back ground knowledge.[3-4]

Level 3 – Reasons based on reading of the source but with supporting evidence from both the source and back ground knowledge. [5—7]

Level 4 – As per level 3 but with a developed conclusion. [8]

Starter Quiz – the Vietnam War.1. In what year did America start to send ‘advisors’ to help the South Vietnamese government?2. What was the leader of the North Vietnamese Communist forces called?3. Vietnam, before WW2 had been a colony of which European nation?4. Which president was in power when Americans first started their involvement in Vietnam?5. What type of tactics did the North Vietnamese Army employ?6. What was the shortened term frequently used to describe the North Vietnamese Army?7. What trail was extensively bombed by the Americans because they felt it supplied weapons to

the North Vietnamese Army?8. Which president followed LBJ?9. What was the name given to the heavy bombing of vast areas of Vietnam?10. Which other nations provided troops to fight along side the Americans in the conflict?11. In what year did the Americans massively reduce the number of their soldiers fighting in

Vietnam?12. What year was the Tet Offensive?13. Give me one environmental impact of the war.14. Give me one effect on Us soldiers that fought in Vietnam.15. In what year did Saigon fall to communist forces?

Starter Quiz – the Vietnam War.1. In what year did America start to send ‘advisors’ to help the South Vietnamese government? 19622. What was the leader of the North Vietnamese Communist forces called? Ho chi Minh3. Vietnam, before WW2 had been a colony of which European nation? France4. Which president was in power when Americans first started their involvement in Vietnam? Kennedy5. What type of tactics did the North Vietnamese Army employ? Guerrilla6. What was the shortened term frequently used to describe the North Vietnamese Army? NVA7. What trail was extensively bombed by the Americans because they felt it supplied weapons to the North

Vietnamese Army? Ho Chi Minh Trail.8. Which president followed LBJ? Nixon9. What was the name given to the heavy bombing of vast areas of Vietnam? Rolling Thunder10. Which other nations provided troops to fight along side the Americans in the conflict? Australia and New

Zealand.11. In what year did the Americans massively reduce the number of their soldiers fighting in Vietnam? 196912. What year was the Tet Offensive? 196813. Give me one environmental impact of the war. Damaged crops, damaged forest, poisoned rivers and streams.14. Give me one effect on US soldiers that fought in Vietnam. Drug addiction, bitterness, stress, cancer15. In what year did Saigon fall to communist forces? 1975.

End of Vietnam

1973 = US troops leave Vietnam

1976 = Ho Chi Minh had made Vietnam a single Communist country

In pairs, think of 3 reasons why both superpowers would welcome

detente• To reduce the risk of a

nuclear war• To reduce the cost of

the arms race• Learnt lesson from

Vietnam war (wanted better relations with USSR and China)

Nixon was a strong anti-Communist but wanted friendly relations with the USSR and China in 1970s.

I want to…

limit the arms race

Discourage Soviet and Chinese expansion

The USA and China were still distrustful of the USSR but were prepared to ‘hold their noses’ and improve relations with each other.

1971 – USA agreed that communist China should join the United Nations

The US table tennis team played matches in Peking, giving rise to the term ‘ping-pong diplomacy’

1972 – Nixon made an historic ‘journey for peace’ in China

Détente with the USSR

1972 – Nixon flew to Moscow (the first president to do so since FDR in 1944)

SALT: Strategic Arm Limitation Talks

• SALT I (1972)

• Limited number of ICBMs (missiles) and ABMs

• Agreed not to test ICBMs

Positive mood task 2• The mood between Russia and the US was improving fast.

• As you know, Nixon, had flown to Moscow to speak to the Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev.

• Whilst on Air Force one Nixon is briefed by yourself on potential discussions surrounding SALT 1 which is major political issue.

• Read info on SALT. One person will take on the role of the advisor, the other person will be Nixon.

• Plan a dialogue between the characters. It may involve Nixon asking various questions so that he understands exactly what he should and should not say to the Soviet leader.

• The advisor should have lots of relevant advice. (work together to produce this)

• Remember the feeling of this meeting is positive but both sides are still distrustful of one another. Consider carefully the advice you will give to your president.

• SALT I is the common name for the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty Agreement, but also known as Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. SALT I froze the number of strategic ballistic missiles at existing levels.

• Leonid Brezhnev and Nixon met in 1972 to discuss such limits on nuclear weapons as well as to consider other issues between the two world super powers.

• The U.S.'s total number of missiles had been the same since 1967 at 1054 ICBMs and 656 SLBMs. One part of the treaty was designed to prevent this, and the numbers of missiles that the Russians had, from increasing.

• Negotiations had started in 1969 and reached a climax in May 1972 after a series of meetings beginning in Helsinki, with the U.S. delegation headed by Gerard Smith, director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

• After a long deadlock, the first results of SALT I came when an agreement was reached over ABM systems. Further discussion brought the negotiations to an end on May 26, 1972 in Moscow when Richard Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

• Relations between America and Russia were improving but they still had a long way to go. Although the two sides had agreed to limit the amount of missiles they would produce, neither side had actually agreed to get rid of any of their existing missile stocks. A far greater level of trust between the two nations still had to be built up.

The Cold War starts to Freeze once more as relations break down.

SALT: Strategic Arm Limitation Talks

• SALT II (1979) • President Carter of USA tried to

get further deals on arms limitations

• Slow progress• 1979 – Soviet Union invaded

Afghanistan• Diplomatic links broken• Carter withdrew US Olympic team

from 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.

Reagan – The 80s•Aggressive anti-Soviet policy

•Both sides developing new weapons

•USA developed neutron bomb – could kill many people without much damage to property

Reagan – The 80s

Reagan – The 80s

Star Wars1983 – US scientists began

working on the Strategic Defence Initiative or “Star Wars”.

This was a kind of giant shield in space which would shoot down enemy missiles.

One reason for this was to bring down communism in the USSR by forcing the USSR to spend huge sums of money on arms rather than other investments.

Despite this, talks on reducing arms continued.

START: (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) aimed to reduce nuclear weapons but little progress was made and the treaty was never signed.

Your task - turn to page 411 in the Ben Walsh Books.

• Look at the range of events that took place between 1979 and 1981.

• You have a summary of each event on the photocopy.

• Cut out the various events and place/stick them on the graph to show how the relationship deteriorated over the 3 year period.

Sup

er p

ower

rela

tions

.

Time.

19801979 19810 = at war

10 = close

friends

Revolution in Iran – the Shah or Iran was supported by America. When he was removed from power the new government rejected the US. This act altered the power balance in the Middle East.

Civil wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador. America and the Soviets backed opposing sides in the conflict.

Human rights – the US president Jimmy Carter openly criticised the Soviet treatment of those that spoke out against its rule.

New nuclear weapons – the USSR began to replace old weapons and the US did the same. The new weapons were more devastating and posed a greater threat.

Collapse of SALT 2 – further talks about limiting nuclear weapons failed.

Afghanistan – the USSR got involved in Afghanistan against the Mujahideen. The Americans backed the Mujahideen and the war became the Soviet’s version of the Vietnam War.

Moscow and LA Olympics – US athletes didn’t attend the games in Moscow and four years later the soviets did the same when the games were in LA.

Ronald Reagan – the ex-actor hated Communism and called Communism the ‘Evil Empire’. He tried to develop weapons technology called ‘Star Wars’ – this greatly worried the Soviets.

Revolution in Iran – the Shah or Iran was supported by America. When he was removed from power the new government rejected the US. This act altered the power balance in the Middle East.

Civil wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador. America and the Soviets backed opposing sides in the conflict.

Human rights – the US president Jimmy Carter openly criticised the Soviet treatment of those that spoke out against its rule.

New nuclear weapons – the USSR began to replace old weapons and the US did the same. The new weapons were more devastating and posed a greater threat.

Collapse of SALT 2 – further talks about limiting nuclear weapons failed.

Afghanistan – the USSR got involved in Afghanistan against the Mujahideen. The Americans backed the Mujahideen and the war became the Soviet’s version of the Vietnam War.

Moscow and LA Olympics – US athletes didn’t attend the games in Moscow and four years later the soviets did the same when the games were in LA.

Ronald Reagan – the ex-actor hated Communism and called Communism the ‘Evil Empire’. He tried to develop weapons technology called ‘Star Wars’ – this greatly worried the Soviets.

Task 3 - Match the Key Words to their meanings

“Star Wars” US President in the 1980s

Detente Type of missile

Reagan Giant shield in space that could shoot down enemy missiles

ICBM Strategic Arms Limitations Talks

SALT Agreement signed by 37 countries to recognise Soviet frontiers and agree on basic human rights

Helsinki Accords Relaxation

START Strategic Arms Reduction Talks

Breakthrough - GorbachevIn 1985, President Gorbachev of

the USSR called for a reduction in hostilities.

He began talks with Reagan.

Click here to find out what he wanted and decide what

Reagan should do

Breakthrough - GorbachevIn 1985, President Gorbachev

of the USSR called for a reduction in hostilities.

He began talks with Reagan.

Click here to find out what he wanted and decide what

Reagan should do

The End of the Cold War

1987 – Both USA and USSR agrees to destroy all medium- and short-range weapons in Europe within three years

1989 – Soviet troops left Afghanistan

1989 – Gorbachev tells leaders of communist-controlled Eastern Europe

We will no longer be able to defend you

In other words, the Soviet Union was

removing its control from Eastern Europe

What might happen to

communist-controlled countries

In Europe?

During the next 12 months, communist governments throughout Eastern Europe were overthrown.

The Cold War had ended.

Communist control of Eastern Europe had collapsed.

Chronology – Put the events in order in your books.

Nixon fliesTo Moscow

SALT I

Soviets leaveof Afghanistan

SALT II

1979Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

1980USA boycott

Moscow Olympics

Star Wars

Gorbachev wants detente

Berlin Wallfalls

End of Cold War