Thaw and Détente

1963

not often, used 1971 by Nixon and Brezhnev during India/Pakistan conflict

1963

drawn up between USA Soviet Union and GB, further 113 countries signed after 1963

govs concerned due to more scientific understanding of dangers of radioactive fallout

no nuclear weapon test explosion outside conductor's borders - including ocean/outer space

1967

drawn up by USA Soviet Union and GB, later signed by 12 countries

explorationse for benefit of all nations, no nukes/WMDs/harmful contamination, celestial bodies only for peaceful purposes, states responsible for damage caused by their space objects

1968

USA, Soviet Union, GB and 59 others

divided countries into 2 categories - Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) and Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS)

same as P5, work towards disarmament, not help other nations get nukes

wouldn't develop nukes - accepted because very few had tech/financial ability/desire for them

Nixon, Vietnam, Social problems

1968

determined to take USA out of Vietnam, wanted to reduce Soviet tensions and establish relations with China

almost 60,000

around $170 billion spent

showed that military might would not always let it achieve its aims, large-scale demonstrations in USA

1968 assassination of Martin Luther King

felt they were nuclear weapon equals with USA, Vietnam showed USA could be beaten, spending lots on defence, falling behind in computer and microchip tech

almost 30% gross domestic product, only 13% in USA

1949

1950

Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assisstance

Soviets provide economic aid worth $300 million, military assistance if China attacked by Japan/USA

Mao felt Chinese delegates in Moscow had been given poor accomodation and not treated with respect - still worked together in Korea though

didn't get along when Khrushchev visited Beijing 1958

criticised his policies in China

accused him of cowardice in Cuba, complained about Czechoslovakia, scared Soviet Union might attack China

1969 fighting between Chinese and Soviet troops on border - Mao pushed for friendlier relations with USA

tested atomic bomb 1964, first nuclear missile 1966

Korea, USA showed it was prepared to fight for Taiwan when China threatened it, mid-60s Mao's followers called the USA 'capitalist running dogs'

1971 World Table Tennis Championships in Japan

Chinese told to avoid US team but there was some friendly contact which led to US team being invited to play matches in China

after matches - Kissinger visited China and met with PM Zhou En-Lai - established a friendly relationship

1972 Kissinger accompanied Nixon to Beijing to meet Mao - signed Shanghai Communique

agreed that a peaceful solution should be found to problem of Taiwan

elected 1969 - Chancellor of West Germany - started Ostpolitik policy

establishing links between East and West Europe - lots of Western nations started following Willy Brandt's lead

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty

May 1972

only two ABM sites per country, max 100 ABMs per site

ICBMs and SLBMs

submarine-launched ballistic missile

Soviets allowed more because USA already had more strategic bombers

USA hadn't told Soviets that they could attach more than 1 warhead to a missile - MIRVs

multiple independently-targetable re-entry vehicle

laid out rules for conduct of nuclear warfare

both countries agreed to take care of their relations and 'make every effort to avoid this risk' if war looked likely, banned placing of warheads on seabed

publicly signed - symbolic importance, Nixon visited Brezhnev shortly after signing

1973

1974

basic principles agreement unrealistic, MIRVs, both still owned more than enough nukes to destroy the other many times over