FROM DETENTE TO THE END OF THE BLOCS1962-1991

FROM DETENTE TO THE END OF THE BLOCS1962-1991

Introduction

The Cuban crisis had been a turning point.

After 1962, international relationships went from peaceful coexistence to a total disappearance of the blocs.

-1962-1975: Détente

-1975-1985: Re-appearance of tensions: Cold Peace

-1985: Disintegration of the Soviet bloc to the end of the Cold War in 1991

I/ Détente

A/ Factors of Détente

-balance of terror, brinkmanship and need to decrease military spending ( Johnson’s Great society program)

-New leaders: Nixon’s realpolitik elected 1972/ Brejnev appointed 1964/ Brejnev doctrine 1968

-This led to the Condominium: the two Big rule the world together

B/ Signs of Détente

1) Brandt’s Ostpolitk• During 1960s, Willy

Brandt Chancellor of West Germany formed closer ties with Communist East Germany: Ostpolitik

• 1972, East & West Germany formally recognised each other’s frontiers

• Trade links: a policy of overture towards Eastern Europe

1969-1974- Under Gustav Heinemann’s presidency

SPD

B/ Signs of Détente

2)Arms limitation• 1963 ( Moscow),1968

(Washington) USA & USSR begin arms negotiations

• 1972, SALT 1 signed: Both sides had to limit numbers of nuclear weapons & warheads

• 1979 SALT II, agreement reached though never came into effect

American cartoon from 1973

What does the source tell us about SALT 1 agreements of 1972?

Limits agreed at SALT 1, (1972)

Missiles possessed in 1974

USA USSR USA USSRIntercontinenta

l Ballistic Missiles

1000 1600 1054 1575

Submarine Launched Missiles

650 700 656 720

B/ Signs of Détente

3) Cooperation

July 1975, Apollo & Soyuz spacecrafts docked in space & astronauts met together

Détente between the USA and China: Ping Pong diplomacy ( US players invited in China), 1972 Nixon visited China ( 1st US president), US accepted Communist China as representative at UN. Trade talks/ Kissinger

Badge worn by astronauts during the space link-up.

B/ Signs of Détente

4) Helsinki conference 1975( CSCE)

• 35 countries (including USA & USSR) signed Helsinki Agreement

• West recognised frontiers of Eastern Europe & Soviet ‘sphere of influence’

• Soviets agreed to buy US grain & export oil to West

• Greater freedom for Western journalists & guarantees of basic human rights

C/ Limits of Détente

-The Vietnam War

-De Gaulle’s national independence policy

-1967 Sino-Russian split: January Red Guards besieged the Soviet Embassy in Beijing/ Peking

-1968: the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia

II/ 1975-1985 Cold Peace

A/ At first a weak US diplomacy…

1) Impact of the watergate

On August 8, 1974, Nixon resigned the presidency. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned after being charged with cheating on his taxes and taking payments in return for political favors.Nixon chose Gerald R. Ford to replace Agnew.Ford was the Republican leader in the House of Representatives.When Nixon resigned, Ford became president.•He was the first person ever to become president without having been elected either president or vice-president.

II/ 1975-1985 Cold Peace

A/ At first a weak US diplomacy…

2) Carter’s diplomacy: SUCCESSES

Jimmy Carter ( democrat) used his reputation for honesty to win the presidency in 1976.

Carter wrote to Brezhnev about his concerns with Soviet human rights issues. Brezhnev ignored him.

Camp David Accords: Conflict between Egypt and Israel continued. ( occupation Sinai) Carter guided Anwar el-Sadat and Menachem Begin to a historic agreement :the Camp David Accords.

3) Carter’s diplomacy: FAILURES

Concluded SALT II talks in 1979 that limited nuclear weapons- Failed

1979: Soviets invaded Afghanistan to ensure continued Communist rule in the country.Carter blocked shipment of grain to the Soviet Union and said the United States would boycott the 1980 Olympics.

Revolution in Iran overthrew the shah and replaced him with the Ayatollah Khomeini.The American government allowed the shah to enter the United States for medical treatment—this action enraged many Iranians. Attack on the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took hostages: 444 days ( Nov. 79- Jan 81)

II/ 1975-1985 Cold Peace

B/ Soviet expansionism

The USSR tried to spread its sphere of influence:

-by supporting newly independent African socialist regimes like in Angola in 1975 or in Ethiopia in 1977.

-by helping communists groups: Vietnam invaded in 1975, Laos and Cambodia in 1979, in Nicaragua Soviets helped the Sandinistas

- the USSR invaded Afghanistan.” Soviet Vietnam”-1979. Quagmire

C/ Reagan’s reply during his first term: 80-84/81-85

In his first term, Reagan rejected the policies of containment and détente: he wanted to destroy communism.” Evil Empire”

Reagan obtained massive increases in military spending.

Much of the new spending went to nuclear weapons.

Promoted the Strategic Defense initiative (SDI)—a shield in space to protect the United States against incoming Soviet missiles. Star Wars

1979 “Euro missiles” in NATO countries- Pershing II

III/ After 1985: to the end of the blocs

A/Gorbachev to power 1985: more openness

Glasnost• Gorbachev announced a

new era of glasnost, or “opening.”

• Lifted media censorship, allowing public criticism of the government

• Gorbachev held press interviews.

• KGB’s files opened.

Perestroika• Gorbachev began the

process of perestroika, the “restructuring” the country

• Dismantled the Soviet central planning system

• Allowed multiparty elections

• Withdrew from Afghanistan• Visited with China to ease

tensions between the nations

• Free market economy

B/ How did Gorbachev improve relations with the US?

• 1985, Gorbachev & Reagan met at Geneva to discuss arms reduction

• 1987, Gorbachev & Reagan signed a treaty to remove medium range nuclear weapons from Europe ( euro missiles)

• SALT developed into START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) 1991

Geneva meeting

C/ The collapse of the Soviet bloc

1/ Roots• The call for glasnost and perestroika awakened a

spirit of nationalism in the nations of Eastern Europe.

• Gorbachev knew the USSR could no longer support Eastern European economies.

• Revolutions swept across Eastern Europe in 1989• “Gorbi” did not oppose any of them

• Communist leader, Imre Pozgay accepted need for reform-

Poland • Solidarity forced the government to hold elections.

• Lech Walesa became Poland’s president in 1990.

Hungary

• The nonviolent velvet revolution swept the Communists from power in November 1989.

• Writer Vaclav Havel became president.( Dubcek in gov)1991

Czechoslovakia

Romania • Violent revolution brought down Nicolae Ceausescu, one of the Soviet bloc’s cruelest dictators.

C/ The collapse of the Soviet bloc

2/ Revolutions in Eastern Europe

C/ The collapse of the Soviet bloc

3/ Germany• 1000s fleeing every

year by 1989• Demonstrations in E.

German cities• Erich Honecker’s troops

refused to shoot protestors

• Honecker forced to agree to reforms

• Nov 1989, Berlin Wall pulled down

• Oct 1990 Germany reunified

C/ The collapse of the Soviet bloc

4/ The USSR

1991, G. under house arrest by hard-line Communists

Boris Yeltsin, an advocate of market economy & reform, gathered support from Russians to resist the coup

Coup demonstrated the unpopularity of Communism & popularity of reformersBoris Yeltsin new Russian president

Boris Yeltsin

On december 1991 ( 25th) Gorbatchev resigned from his post as president of the USSR and the USSR definately collapsed.

IV/ After 1991: a new world order

A/Assertion of American leadership

-USA only power left on the international stage/scene

-AUGUST 1990: Saddam Hussein’s army invaded Kuwait: First Gulf war/ Us intervention through the UN: Watchdog of the world- BUSH Senior

-1992-2000: CLINTON: carried on American leadership acting on the American continent and in the Middle-east.

-2000-2008: BUSH Jr led a more aggressive foreign policy after the attacks of Sept 11th 2001( 2003 Intervention in Irak)

IV/ After 1991: a new world order

B/The new role of the UNO

-Since the end of the Cold War, the UN has multiplied interventions all over the world: the consensus between members of the security council for diplomatic reasons made UN’s actions easier

-UN’s new missions: humanitarian duty of interference BUT contrary principle of national sovereignty in the UN’s charter!

-International institutions: UNICEF, UNHCR along with NGO

-Limits: 91-95 Yugoslavia, 1994 Rwanda, 2003 UN’s headquarter in Baghdad bombed: 20 people killed: 1st direct attack against UNO!

C/ New threats after 1991

1- The persistent Arab/Israeli conflict ( Israel/ Palestine conflict): 1947 UN made the decision to share Palestine; 1948 Ben Gourion proclaimed the birth of Israel; 1964 Palestine organisation Liberation Yassir Arafat.

2-Resurgence of nationalism: Ex: Yugoslavia: catholic Slovenes, Catholic Croats, Muslim Bosnians and orthodox Serbs.

3- Islamism: when Muslim faith ( Koran) is used to political ends. Islamist believe in the Jihad to take the power and restore the Koranic law ( Sharia) and go against modernism and western models.USA= great Satan. Al Qaida, Bin Laden- Sept 11th 2001- Hijacked planes- GIA Algeria since the Islamic salvation front banned 1991

THE NEW WORLD ORDER

Countries in political transition after 1991

Communist countries

Countries in political transition after 1991

Nationalist troubles

US/ US sphere of influence

Triad = world oligopoly

Asian countries with fast economic development

Emerging economic centres

Centers of islamist fundamentalism

Africa a continent weakened by starvation

Threatenin nuclear power

Axis of Evil

The new world order

1- After the collapse of the Soviet bloc

2- new dominating centers

3- Assertion of new economic centers

4-Threats