Lesson 6 – The End of the Cold War Module 12 – The cold war Lesson 6 – The End of the Cold War

c. Key terms & people

A. Richard Nixon 37th president of the U.S. Championed the policy of détente (a relaxation of Cold War tensions) & visited both China & the USSR to improve foreign relations with these 2 countries

B. Henry Kissinger German-born political scientist who became secretary of state under President Nixon He believed in the concept of realpolitik & helped to create Nixon’s policy of Détente Instrumental diplomatic figure during the Cold War years of the 70’s & 80’s

C. Realpolitik Foreign policy advocated by Henry Kissinger based on consideration of a nation’s power rather than its ideals or moral principles Each nation should do what’s best for its people & this national interest justifies any means that its leaders have to take to achieve it Human rights/goodwill have no place in international diplomacy There should be a global balance of power, w/no single country becoming dominant in world affairs

D. Detente The flexible policy, involving a willingness to negotiate & an easing of tensions, that was adopted by Pres. Nixon & Sec. of State Kissinger in their dealings with Communist nations

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between Nixon (U.S.) & Brezhnev (USSR) E. Salt I Treaty Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between Nixon (U.S.) & Brezhnev (USSR) 5-yr. agreement between the U.S. & the USSR (1972) that limited the nations’ # of ICBM’s (intercontinental ballistic missiles) & submarine-launched missiles This treaty & other Détente foreign policy initiatives from Nixon helped him get reelected in 1972

f. Gerald Ford 38th president of the U.S. He became president after the resignation of Richard Nixon & continued Nixon’s Cold War policies of Détente & negotiations w/China & the USSR Relied heavily on the knowledge & experience of Sec. of State Henry Kissinger

g. Jimmy Carter 39th president of the U.S. Carter had very little experience in national or international politics Focused more on human rights around the world & at home which ultimately brought an end to détente as a Cold War policy This caused a strain in relations between the U.S. & the USSR & China

h. Ronald Reagan 40th president of the U.S.; former actor & Governor of California He focused on arms control & bringing about the end to the Cold War by not backing down to Soviet intimidation & committing U.S. resources towards containing Soviet expansion Had a complex rapport w/Gorbachev

i. Mikhail Gorbachev Became General Secretary of the Communist Party in the USSR in March of 1985 Beginning of a new era in the USSR where he ushered in 2 new policies (Glasnost & Perestroika) that radically changed the direction/focus for the USSR & helped bring about its downfall

J. Strategic defense initiative A proposed defense system (Star Wars) intended to protect the U.S. against missile attacks by creating satellites with the capability to use lasers to shoot down incoming Soviet nuclear missiles The USSR saw this as an offensive weapon because we would be able to launch our nukes w/out fear of retaliation

Openness to ‘western ideas’ K. glasnost The open discussion of social problems that was permitted for the 1st time in the USSR under Gorbachev in the 1980s Openness to ‘western ideas’ No Soviet regime had ever allowed for its citizens to talk about social problems within the USSR (an American concept)

l. perestroika The restructuring of the economy & government in the USSR in the 1980s to resemble that of a free market democratic society like the U.S.

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m. Intermediate range nuclear forces Treaty 1987 agreement between the U.S. & USSR that eliminated some weapons systems & allowed for on-site inspection of military installations

d. Study questions This section is really just an overall review of the ‘Key Terms & People’ Section

A. What was the philosophy of realpolitik? Kissinger believed that the U.S. should adopt a foreign policy that had a footing in being ‘realistic’ & ‘pragmatic’ about how we conducted ourselves in foreign affairs. He believed that idealism & morality during the Cold War would only hurt our standing among the USSR & China due 2 the competitive nature of this conflict

B. What effects did the Soviet invasion of afghanistan have on the U.S.? Afghanistan had been run by a pro-Soviet gov’t. for years when a rebel group (mujahideen) had started a civil war in which the USSR intervened militarily Pres. Carter used the hotline to protest these actions to Brezhnev & then decided to withdraw our support for the SALT II Agreement which would have further reduced the global stockpile of nuclear weapons (our withdrawal signaled the death to this treaty) Carter was so opposed to Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, that he promised to block all exports of grain to the USSR & we would boycott the 1980 Olympics which were held in Moscow (both of these moves were unpopular with Americans. Why?)

C. What caused the downfall of the USSr & the founding of the Commonwealth of independent states? Ronald Reagan’s hardline position against Soviet intimidation played a role The failed economic policies of the USSR for the last 30 years built up the frustration/despair among the Soviet people The Soviet gov’t. spent most of its $ on military spending and very little on domestic programs (economy, health care, education, etc.) Gorbachev’s inception of Glasnost & Perestroika was the ‘final straw’ that crumbled Communism

d. What events signaled the cold war had come to an end? Soviet Union’s failed war in Afghanistan Mikhail Gorbachev becoming General Secretary of the Communist Party Gorbachev’s policies of Glasnost & Perestroika Poland’s independence from the USSR Fall of the Berlin Wall & the reunification of Germany The death of the Warsaw Pact in 1990 Civil wars in Yugoslavia, Serbia, & Bosnia

The arms talks had mixed results for U.S./Soviet relations e. How did arms talks affect relations between the u.s. & the u.s.s.r.? The arms talks had mixed results for U.S./Soviet relations SALT I & the Intermediate Range Nuclear Force Treaty were a success SALT II & SDI were considered failures in terms of easing U.S./Soviet tension