The Fall of the Soviet Union and End of the Cold War How did Cold War relations change in the 1970s and 1980s? Chapter 22 Section 2 & 3

Cold War Following JFK Richard Nixon Lyndon B. Johnson Vietnam War- Later Unit Richard Nixon Nixon’s policy of détente, the easing of Cold War tensions, replaced the old policy based on suspicions and distrust. His foreign-policy breakthroughs moved the world closer to the end of the Cold War. 2

Gerald Ford continued Nixon’s policies of détente with the Soviet Union after he took office in 1974. The United States continued disarmament talks with the Soviets that led to SALT II. 3

Early in his presidency, Jimmy Carter continued Nixon’s and Ford’s policies toward the Soviet Union. In June 1979, Carter signed the SALT II arms control treaty despite opposition from many Americans who believed it jeopardized U.S. security. The U.S. Senate held heated debates about whether to vote for the treaty, which angered the Soviet Union. Despite the signed treaty, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support its communist government. Carter withdrew SALT II from Congress and imposed sanctions on the Soviets.

This led to a dramatic increase in defense spending. President Reagan believed that communism could be weakened by building up the U.S. military. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtYdjbpBk6A The military build-up included the Strategic Defense Initiative “Star Wars” This led to a dramatic increase in defense spending. 5

Mikhail Gorbachev became the President of the Soviet Union in 1985. His twin policies of glasnost and perestroika moved the Soviet Union away from socialism and marked the beginning of a new era in U.S.–Soviet relations. In 1989, several Eastern European nations ousted their communist regimes. Glasnost- lifted media censorship, Gorbachev had press conferences, created a more open gov’t. Perestroika- restructured the gov’t. 6

The Fall of the Berlin Wall The fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany symbolized the end of communism in Europe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oanmD3HHv4M The Wall fell on Nov. 9, 1989– People brought hammers and picks to start taking the wall down. People continued to cross the wall all night.

The Soviet Union broke apart in 1991. Newly elected President George H.W. Bush signed agreements with Gorbachev, and his successor President Boris Yeltsin. They pledged friendship and cooperation and reduction in the buildup of nuclear weapons. The Cold War, which had lasted more than 45 years, was finally over. 8