Detente eased tension between the USA and USSR in the 1970s, but the rivalry went on and flared again after 1979.
This is background for the 1980s; it is not examined on its own. The USA and the Soviet Union (USSR) were rivals, but both also tried to reduce the danger of nuclear war. The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis brought them close to it. In 1963, the Limited Test Ban Treaty restricted some nuclear testing.
Cooperation was uneven. The USA escalated its war in Vietnam, and in 1968 a Soviet-led invasion crushed reform in Czechoslovakia. Armed conflict and control over allies continued.
Several pressures pushed both sides to talk. The arms race was very expensive. The USSR's relations with China were getting worse. The USA wanted a way out of Vietnam. Detente means easing tension without ending the rivalry. The SALT talks (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) led to agreements in 1972 limiting some nuclear missiles and defences. The 1975 Helsinki Final Act covered security, cooperation and human rights in Europe. These deals managed particular problems; they did not end the rivalry between the two systems.
Mistrust and competition in other regions weakened cooperation. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan badly damaged relations. SALT II was signed that year, but never came into force, because the steps to make it binding were not completed. So the early 1980s brought renewed confrontation, not a steady move towards peace.
- Detente
- Easing tension while the rivalry continues.
- SALT, 1972
- Deals limiting some nuclear missiles.
- 1979
- Soviet invasion of Afghanistan ends detente.
Worked example: Two things at once
In 1972, the USA and USSR sign arms deals while the Vietnam War goes on.
- The arms deals show cooperation to reduce nuclear danger.
- The war in Vietnam shows rivalry continuing.
- So detente managed some problems but did not end the Cold War.
Watch out for this
Detente meant the Cold War ended in the early 1970s.
Detente eased some tension, but rivalry continued and grew worse again after 1979.
Check your understanding
What best describes detente?
- The end of the Cold War.
- An easing of tension while the rivalry continued.
- A military alliance between the USA and USSR.