Threats to Détente Lesson starter Describe the consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan...
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Transcript of Threats to Détente Lesson starter Describe the consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan...
Threats to DétenteLesson starterDescribe the consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
(4 marks)
Today we will understand the events that threatened
Detente
The following events are evidence of how
Détente had come to a halt by the 1980s (2010
paper)
• USSR invades Afghanistan in 1979 to protect Communist government from Mujeheddin (Muslim Rebel) attack
• USA back Muslim Rebels
Mujaheddin
1980 Ronald Reagan is new President of USA and is fiercely anti- Communist
Mid 1970s
African Civil Wars on Angola and Mozambique
Russians back one side, USA back anti – Communist forces
1978
Nicaragua (South America) government overthrown by Communists
USA concerned
Reagan gave the go-ahead to create a new nuclear weapon, the neutron bomb
He increased defence spending
He publicly called the USSR the ‘Evil Empire’
• Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI)
• Plan to build a laser shield around US
• ‘Star Wars'• Not a realistic
possibility but it worried Soviets
•Fortunately Gorbachev (1985 onwards) was realistic
•He knew USSR defence spending could not compete with USA
•He knew he would have to come to terms with Reagan