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USSR deployment of strategic weaponry along its borders (until 1980)
Borders refer to Western European and East Asian states that were allies of the US. This raised tensions significantly -
SALT 1
LBJ + Alexi Kosygin signed this in New Jersey. Agreed to limit development of both offensive and defensive strategic systems that would harm US-USSR relations -
SALT 2
Nixon + Brezhnev signed this in Finland. This was initially focused on limiting (and then ultimately reducing) the number of MIRVs. Also had a similar agreement with SALT 1. -
Detente (1962 to 1972)
Warming up of relations, and a thaw in the CW, with more political, economic and cultural exchnages between the two superpowers -
Helsinki Final Act
An agreement signed at the end of the First Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. It recognised the borders of Europe as they had been at the end of WW2, thus recognising Soviet domination of Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). -
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan + Afghan War (1979 to 1989)
This is in support of a pro-Soviet Afghan government that was facing a revolt from traditional Muslim Afghans against the modernisation reforms and political repression. -
Reagan comes to power
Strong anti-communist. Saw Soviet action in Third World and its military build-up as confirmation that it was an "evil empire". -
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) Talks Part 1
Reagan proposed deep cuts in ICBMs. Proposal for both sides to cut their nuclear arsenal down to a total of 850 ICBMs and SLBMs (Submarine-launched ballistic missiles). Soviets rejected START proposals because they knew it was beneficial for the US, whose missile forces emphasised on SLBMs -
Soviets leave START Talks
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Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars)
US ballistic missile defence. Soviets deemed this to be another threat as SDI would make Soviet retaliation less threatening, and American first strike would be more likely. Development of SDI was seen as a way of forcing the Soviets into concessions. -
Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech
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Perestroika implemented
Political, economic and social restructuring. By restructuring the Soviet system, Gorbachev hoped to transform Soviet society and persuade Soviet citizens to take greater intitative and responsibility in their lives. -
Geneva Summit (19 to 21 Nov 85)
Sharp differences during this summit that prevented agreement. Both leaders disagreed on a number of issues: human rights, regional conflicts, and SDI (Gorbachev offered deep cuts in ICBMs, but Reagan refused to remove SDI). The only concrete gains were bilateral agreements to revive US-USSR cultural exchanged and improvement in airline safety. -
Gorbachev came to power
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Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) Talks Part 2
Restarted. Reagan and Gorbachev met at Geneva Summit to iron out differences -
Glasnost and Demokratizatsiya implemented
Political openness for political leaders and bureaucrats to be held accountable to society for their actions. Gorbachev instituted multi-candidate elections and secret balloting as part of the democratization process -
Reykjavik Summit
Gorbachev’s willingness to end the arms is underlined by the sweeping concessions he made at Reykjavik, Ireland in Reykjavik. He accepted Reagan’s zero option plan and even proposed the abolishment of all nuclear weapons within ten years, on a condition that the SDI programme be removed. However, Reagan refused to scrap the SDI. This meant that the cold war as defined by the arms race did not end in 1986. -
USSR delinks SDI from Euro-missile Issue
April 1987: Gorbachev offered to remove 142 shorter range missiles provided the USA removed its 72 Pershing 1-A shorter range missiles from Germany. West G was unwilling to do so as its security would be threatened (Soviets had placed troops along its borders). Helped to pave the way for signing of INF treaty. -
Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty
Reagan's proposal of the "Zero-Option" - proposal for Soviets to get rid of their SS-20 missiles in return for no deployment of cruise missiles and Pershing IIs in Europe. Gorbachev forced to swallow drastically asymmetrical reduction of theatre nuclear weapons. Angered hardliners: Gorbachev's compromise made USSR seem weak A milestone in History of nuclear arms control - more significant politically than military. -
Moscow Summit
Reagan and Gorbachev signed a major accord on notification of each other of ballistic missile tests. Both sides still could not come to an agreement on SDI -
Gorbachev's speech at UN
In contrast with Khrushchev's declaration of the eventual triumph of socialism over capitalism in 1960, Gorbachev announced that international relations would now be free of ideology, which means that it allows EE states to have freedom of ideology. He also announced that there would be major cutbacks in Soviet conventional forces by 50,000. Indicates the end of division in Europe and ideological conflict -
Velvet Revolution
Formed the 1st non-communism govt of Poland which marks the end of the division of Europe, and the division between Capitalism and Communism. Communist party dissolved itself in Jan 1990. Influenced other EE states to break away from the USSR. -
Malta Summit
George H. W. Bush met Gorbachev and declared both superpowers would reach an agreement on a START treaty by June 1990. A sign that US-Soviet relations were warming up. -
Republic of Hungary formed
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Collapse of Berlin Wall
Oct 1989: Gorbachev visited Honecker, advised him to react positively to reforms in Politburo, but he refused, so he resigned on 18 Oct, with Krenz taking over. Krenz announced that East Germans were able to travel freely, which nullified the need for the Berlin Wall. After the collapse of the wall, Krenz resigned in Dec 1989. -
Breakaway of Romania from USSR
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Sinatra Doctrine
Describes Gorbachev's policy of allowing neighbouring Warsaw Pact states to determine their own internal affairs. -
Washington Summit
Both sides agreed to a 30% cut in the nuclear arsenal (6000 limit on the warheads for each country). Both could not agree on how to count cruise missile warheads on bombers and submarines. But both agreed on the destruction of obsolete weapons and the freedom to modernise their weapons. -
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE)
Bush, Gorbachev and other members of NATO and Warsaw Pact signed CFE Treaty, reducing the number of tanks, artillery, combat aircraft and helicopters deployed in Europe -
Helsinki Summit
In the context of Gulf War (Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990), both superpowers issued a joint communique condemning the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Demonstrated clear Superpower cooperation towards world peace. -
Breakaway of Bulgaria from USSR
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Reunification of East and West Germany
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Breakaway of Czechoslovakia from USSR
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Singing of START
This signalled another big step towards world peace. Agreement limited deployed warheads by imposing limits on + destruction of excess delivery vehicles. However, even after reduction under START, both sides would still have 1600 ICBMs and SLBMs, and 6000 warheads each. -
End of CW
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August Putsch
An attempt by members of the Soviet Union's government to take control of the country from Gorbachev. The coup leaders were hard-line members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) who were opposed to Gorbachev's reform program and the new union treaty that he had negotiated which decentralised much of the central government's power to the republics. Although the coup collapsed in only two days, the event destabilised the Soviet Union.