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SALT I Agreements signed
The US and USSR sign the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) in Moscow, limiting the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) each nation can possess.
5-year freeze on offensive strategic missiles (attacking missiles). USA had 1054 ICBMs and USSR had 1618.
Limited both USA and USSR to 2 Anti Ballistic Missiles fields with no more than 100 defensive missiles each. -
Basic Treaty Ratified (W+E Germany)
This treaty formally recognizes the two German states as sovereign nations, marking a significant step towards détente.
-FRG recognised the GDR as an equal and sovereign state.
-FRG accepted both states should be represented at UN from 1973.
-FRG repeated determination for German unification
-Paved way for West to recognise GDR (Aus in 72, UK & Fra in 73, US in 74 -
US Withdrawal from Vietnam
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Chilean Coup d'État
General Augusto Pinochet stages a military coup in Chile, overthrowing the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende. The Soviet Union condemns the coup, highlighting ongoing Cold War tensions. -
Period: to
Yom Kippur War
Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack on Israel, sparking a major war in the Middle East. The US and USSR intervene diplomatically to prevent the conflict from escalating. -
Nguyễn Văn Thiệu Resigns
Resignation due to ARVN defeats throughout 1973 -
Nixon Resigns
Nixon resigns facing impeachment over Watergate scandal -
Gerald Ford becomes President
Ford takes over as President following Nixon's resignation -
Vladivostok Summit
(Ford + Brezhnev)
Framework for a ten-year plan for non-proliferation.
Ceiling of 2400 ICBMs, SLBMs and heavy bombers.
Limited the number of missiles armed with MIRVs.
HOWEVER
Could not agree on whether their arms limitation included limits to cruise missiles (USA said it did not; USSR said it did).
New proposals were forced on Kissinger which the USSR rejected.
Carter proposal further reductions,launchers with MIRVs, ICBMs,launchers with ICBMs;bans on ICBMs and cruise missiles -rejected -
Helsinki Accords
This was the final meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, 1972 - Aug 75) with 35 countries (Eur except Alb + USA + Can).
Final agreement divided in 4 baskets confirmed Ostpolitik and Détente: cooperation on matters of security (Decalogue), economy, culture.
HOWEVER
USSR mostly ignored provisions on human rights, and US public accused Ford of legitimising Soviet domination in Eastern Europe. -
Period: to
Fall of Saigon
North Vietnamese forces capture Saigon, marking the end of the Vietnam War. This defeat is a major blow to US prestige and signifies the limitations of American power. -
South Vietnam surrenders to North
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Helsinki Final Act
The 35 signatory nations of the Helsinki Accords formally adopt the Helsinki Final Act, further solidifying the principles of détente. -
Angolan Civil War Begins
A civil war erupts in Angola (following independence from Portugal) between communist and nationalist factions. The Soviet Union backs the MPLA (communist) while the US supports UNITA (nationalist). Increasing focus on proxy conflicts. -
Operation Condor
Right-wing military dictatorships in South America launch Operation Condor, a campaign of state-sponsored violence and repression against leftist groups. The US is suspected of tacit support. -
Zhou Enlai Dies
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Tiananmen Incident
Student demonstrations for democracy erupt in Beijing, China. The Chinese government brutally suppresses the protests, raising concerns about human rights abuses. Occurred on traditional day of mourning, Qingming Festival, after the Nanjing incident, and was triggered by the death of Premier Zhou Enlai earlier that year. -
Jimmy Carter Elected
Jimmy Carter wins the US presidential election on a platform of human rights and détente. -
Carter Visits Poland
President Carter becomes the first US president to visit Poland, a communist nation in Eastern Europe. This visit highlights an attempt to improve relations during the period of détente. -
Camp David Accords Signed
Following 13 days of negotiations, Egyptian President Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Begin sign the Camp David Accords, a framework for peace in the Middle East. -
Deng Xiaoping becomes Chairman
Introduction of market socialism to China -
Cambodia-Vietnam War Begins
Vietnamese invasion of Kampuchea + border disputes cause outbreak of war - Khmer Rouge overthrown and pro-Vietnam government set up -
Iranian Revolution
Also called Islamic Revolution
The Shah of Iran is overthrown by a revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini. The US-backed Shah's regime is replaced with an Islamic republic, hostile to both the US and USSR. -
Three Mile Island Accident
A partial meltdown occurs at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, raising concerns about nuclear safety and impacting public opinion on nuclear energy. -
Margaret Thatcher becomes Prime Minister
Thatcher was a strong supporter of US foreign policy and shared a similar hardline stance against the Soviet Union This alignment strengthened the Western alliance during the period of renewed tensions following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 -
Pope John Paul II visits Poland
Tells Poles to "recapture control of their destiny" -
SALT II Treaty Signed
These talks were finalised in Vienna (Carter + Brezhnev) after 7 years of negotiations.
Agreed to further limit ICBMs, SLBMs and heavy bombers to 2250 from 1981.
Agreed to limit number of launchers with MIRVs to 1200.
HOWEVER
very scripted negotiations as Brezhnev seemed frail and little room for further negotiations.
USA never ratified it, although the terms were honoured by both sides until 1986. -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to prop up a communist government. Renewed Cold War tensions.
Coup against Daoud Khan by Radical Faction of PDPA - Amin + Taraki (April 78) - Amin executes Taraki for plotting to remove him
USSR put Babrak Karmal in place
Deaths - 15k Soviet Soldiers + 1 Million Afghans
USA - embargo on grain ; boycott of Moscow Olympic '80, help mujahideen from Pakistan -
Carter Leaves Office
Jimmy Carter's term as US President ends. His presidency is marked by a focus on human rights and arms control, but also by challenges like the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. -
Moscow Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics are held in Moscow, despite a US-led boycott in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. -
Gdansk Shipyard Strike
Illegal strike + 21 demands -
Solidarity Movement Founded in Poland
The Solidarity trade union movement is founded in Poland, led by Lech Wałęsa. Solidarity represents a growing challenge to communist rule in Eastern Europe. -
Ronald Reagan Inaugurated
Ronald Reagan - 40th President of the United States. More hard-line stance against the Soviet Union compared Carter. -
Martial Law Declared in Poland
General Jaruzelski declares martial law in an attempt to crush the Solidarity movement.
Government banned Solidarity and arrested its leaders -
Falklands War Begins
Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory. The UK sends a military task force to retake the islands, sparking a brief war. Causes some tension between Thatcher and Reagan but this is minor. -
Evil Empire Speech
In a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals, President Reagan refers to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire." -
Strategic Defence Initiative Announced
Reagan announces SDI + weapons build-up. Held the view that MAD was a "suicide pact" -
Korean Air Lines Flight 007 Shot Down
KAL007 (passenger plane) shot down by the Soviet Air Force after it strays into Soviet airspace. All 269 people on board are killed, leading to international outrage -
Soviet Nuclear False Alarm Incident
The Soviet nuclear early warning system Oko reported the launch of one intercontinental ballistic missile with four more missiles behind it, from the United States. These missile attack warnings were suspected to be false alarms by Stanislav Petrov, an engineer of the Soviet Air Defence Forces -
Able Archer 83
: Able Archer 83 (NATO exercise believed to be a real attack USSR on high alert for counter-attack) -
Ivan and Anya Speech
Reagan tries to defuse tensions with Ivan and Anya speech -
Yuri Andropov Becomes Soviet Leader
Yuri Andropov succeeds Leonid Brezhnev as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Andropov's leadership is short-lived due to ill health -
Konstantin Chernenko Becomes Soviet Leader
Konstantin Chernenko succeeds Andropov as General Secretary. Chernenko's leadership is also marked by ill health and stagnation. -
Mikhail Gorbachev Becomes Soviet Leader
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev's rise to power marks a turning point in Soviet history. He introduces policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) aimed at reforming the ailing Soviet economy and political system. -
Reagan-Gorbachev Summit in Geneva
President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev meet for their first summit in Geneva, Switzerland. Despite no major breakthroughs, the meeting marks a potential thaw in US-Soviet relations and paves the way for future cooperation.