Lesson 6 - 1970s Détente
The 1970s marked a significant shift in the Cold War. After the intense crises of the early 1960s - the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis - both superpowers recognised that confrontation carried unacceptable risks. The policy that emerged, known as détente, aimed to reduce tension, prevent nuclear war and stabilise the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. Détente did not mean friendship, nor an end to rivalry. Instead, it reflected a mutual need for restraint. Both the USA and USSR faced economic pressures, political setbacks, and damaged alliances by the end of the 1960s. Leaders such as Nixon, Kissinger, Brezhnev and Willy Brandt sought to manage conflict through negotiation rather than brinkmanship. The result was a decade marked by arms control agreements, increased trade, diplomatic breakthroughs with China and Europe, but also ongoing competition in the developing world.
Détente causes
Both sides had pressing reasons to seek relaxation in tensions. The Cuban Missile crisis might be considered a trigger. Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) focused the strategist’s minds. In addition, political events in the late 1960s (Czechoslovakia and Vietnam) undermined the superpowers on the home front and with their relationships with allies. The superpowers lacked confidence.
Both sides had pressing reasons to seek relaxation in tensions. The Cuban Missile crisis might be considered a trigger. Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) focused the strategist’s minds. In addition, political events in the late 1960s (Czechoslovakia and Vietnam) undermined the superpowers on the home front and with their relationships with allies. The superpowers lacked confidence.
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USSR
Leonid Brezhnev and the rest of the Soviet leadership felt that the economic burden of the nuclear arms race was unsustainable. (20% going on defence) The Soviets also hoped that with Détente more trade with Western Europe would be possible. They hoped for greater access to western technology. Worsening relations with the People's Republic of China, leading to the Sino-Soviet Split, had caused great concern in the Soviet Union. The leadership was terrified of the potential of a Sino-American alliance against them and thus felt improving relations with the United States would be necessary. Soviet thinkers also felt that a less aggressive policy could potentially detach the Western Europeans from their American ally. More independent minded policies appeared in Germany (Brandt) and France (de Gaulle). But on the other hand the Prague Spring (1968) had undermined the USSR’s relationship with the Eastern bloc |
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USA
The American economy was also in financial trouble as the Vietnam War drained government finances at the same time as Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society (and to a lesser extent, Richard Nixon) sought to expand the government welfare state. Vietnam also weakened the US psychologically. In Europe, Willy Brandt was decreasing tensions through Ostpolitik (see below). This was an effort to break with the policies of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which was the elected government of West Germany from 1949 until 1969. The Christian Democrats under Konrad Adenauer and his successors tried to combat the Communist regime of East Germany, while Brandt's Social Democrats tried to achieve a certain degree of cooperation with East Germany. Improved relations with China (see below) also helped thaw the American view of communism in general.
1972
The year 1972 marked the high point of détente. U.S. President Richard Nixon, together with his National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, pursued a bold diplomatic strategy that reshaped Cold War relations. Nixon became the first American president to visit Communist China, opening relations through “ping-pong diplomacy” and signalling a new triangular diplomacy among the USA, USSR and China. Soon after, Nixon travelled to Moscow for an unprecedented summit with Leonid Brezhnev. The talks produced the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, the first agreements to place limits on superpower nuclear arsenals. Although both sides kept thousands of weapons, these agreements reduced risk and symbolised a new phase of controlled rivalry. 1972 proved that negotiation could stabilise the Cold War without ending competition.
Kissinger remains a controversial figure because of policies that promoted US interests at the expense of local democracy or human rights. (There is even a website dedicated to predicting his death). He died in 2023.
The American economy was also in financial trouble as the Vietnam War drained government finances at the same time as Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society (and to a lesser extent, Richard Nixon) sought to expand the government welfare state. Vietnam also weakened the US psychologically. In Europe, Willy Brandt was decreasing tensions through Ostpolitik (see below). This was an effort to break with the policies of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which was the elected government of West Germany from 1949 until 1969. The Christian Democrats under Konrad Adenauer and his successors tried to combat the Communist regime of East Germany, while Brandt's Social Democrats tried to achieve a certain degree of cooperation with East Germany. Improved relations with China (see below) also helped thaw the American view of communism in general.
1972
The year 1972 marked the high point of détente. U.S. President Richard Nixon, together with his National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, pursued a bold diplomatic strategy that reshaped Cold War relations. Nixon became the first American president to visit Communist China, opening relations through “ping-pong diplomacy” and signalling a new triangular diplomacy among the USA, USSR and China. Soon after, Nixon travelled to Moscow for an unprecedented summit with Leonid Brezhnev. The talks produced the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, the first agreements to place limits on superpower nuclear arsenals. Although both sides kept thousands of weapons, these agreements reduced risk and symbolised a new phase of controlled rivalry. 1972 proved that negotiation could stabilise the Cold War without ending competition.
Kissinger remains a controversial figure because of policies that promoted US interests at the expense of local democracy or human rights. (There is even a website dedicated to predicting his death). He died in 2023.
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Detente - Achievements
China – Nixon’s visit in 1972, pandas and ‘ping-pong- diplomacy’ were important but largely symbolic. The decision to allow Communist China to take their place at the UN Security Council was more significant.
Détente produced a series of important agreements that reduced tension and improved communication between East and West. The most significant were the SALT I and ABM Treaties (1972), which placed limits on ballistic missiles and restricted defensive systems that might undermine nuclear deterrence. In the same year, the Biological Weapons Convention banned the development of biological warfare. Relations also improved in Europe. Ostpolitik normalised relations between East and West Germany, culminating in the Basic Treaty (1972), where both states recognised each other’s existence. Trade between the superpowers grew, including large U.S. grain shipments to the USSR. The most wide-ranging achievement was the Helsinki Accords (1975), signed by 35 states. These agreements accepted Europe’s post-1945 borders but also committed signatories to respect human rights. Although not legally binding, the human-rights clauses would become a powerful tool for dissidents in Eastern Europe. |
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Détente - Limitations
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Although the early 1970s saw genuine attempts to reduce Cold War tension, détente always rested on fragile foundations. Both superpowers continued to compete for influence in the developing world, and neither was willing to abandon nuclear modernisation. Both sides also continued large-scale military programmes, developing more advanced nuclear weapons such as MIRVs, which made earlier agreements quickly outdated.
Neither side trusted the other fully: espionage, satellite surveillance and ideological propaganda continued unabated. Détente reduced the risk of direct conflict, but it never resolved the deeper political and ideological differences at the heart of the Cold War. |
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As a result, détente was frequently tested by regional conflicts, ideological rivalry, and military developments. In Latin America the Soviet Union continued efforts to foment revolutions, while the United States continued to block any leftward shift in the region with CIA funded military coups, for example in Chile in 1973.
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Chile 9/11 1973
The downfall of Salvador Allende’s government in 1973 resulted from the combined pressure of foreign intervention, economic collapse, and internal political breakdown. From the start, Allende faced determined U.S. hostility: American corporations such as ITT opposed his election, the World Bank and international lenders cut off credit, and the U.S. government signalled it would block financial support. The CIA funded strikes and sabotage, including paying truck owners to paralyse transport, and supported efforts to destabilise the army. Meanwhile, Allende received little meaningful Soviet help, while Fidel Castro’s visit intensified divisions inside Chile’s left. |
Internally, Allende’s rapid nationalisations alarmed the middle class, and land seizures increased social tension. Economic disruption and strikes produced severe shortages, soaring inflation, and street protests such as the “pots and pans” demonstrations. Political polarisation deepened, and elements of the military began plotting. On 11 September 1973, General Pinochet launched a coup, bombing the presidential palace; Allende died defending Chile’s constitution.
Four major challenges undermined confidence in the policy: the crisis in the Middle East, Soviet expansion in Africa, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the growing tension over intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe. Together, these events exposed the limits of cooperation.
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The Middle East: The Yom Kippur War (1973)
The Middle East remained one of the most volatile regions of the Cold War. After the 1967 Six Day War, the United States strengthened its support for Israel, while the USSR expanded military aid to Egypt and Syria. However, in the early 1970s Brezhnev scaled back direct involvement as part of détente. Tension returned in October 1973, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Jewish festival of Yom Kippur. The superpowers were quickly drawn in: the USA resupplied Israel, and the USSR supported its Arab allies diplomatically and logistically. The crisis escalated to the point where U.S. nuclear forces were placed on alert. |
Although the conflict ended through American diplomacy, it revealed how regional wars could still bring Washington and Moscow dangerously close to confrontation. Importantly, the USSR ultimately accepted limited influence in Egypt — a reminder that détente could restrain Moscow but not eliminate rivalry.
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Soviet Intervention in Africa (1975–78)
The collapse of European empires made Africa a major arena of Cold War competition. In Angola (1975–76), a post-independence civil war broke out between rival nationalist movements. The Soviets and Cubans backed the MPLA, sending weapons, advisers and nearly 17,000 Cuban troops, while U.S. involvement was limited by the War Powers Act passed after Vietnam. A year later, the USSR intervened in another conflict — the Ethiopia–Somalia War (1977–78) — switching support from Somalia to Ethiopia, and again deploying Cuban troops. These actions alarmed American conservatives, who argued that détente had encouraged Soviet expansion in the developing world. |
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Afghanistan (1979)
Détente began to unravel at the end of the 1970s. In 1979, the Iranian Revolution and subsequent U.S. embassy hostage crisis damaged American confidence and weakened President Carter’s leadership. The most serious blow to détente came in December 1979, when Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan. A left-wing government, the PDPA, had seized power in 1978 and signed a treaty with Moscow. Its radical reforms provoked widespread Islamic resistance, and Soviet leaders feared the regime would collapse, especially after the Iranian Revolution (1979) increased religious unrest across the region. Believing they were protecting a socialist ally and preventing instability near their borders, the Soviets sent about 85,000 troops to Kabul. The United States saw the invasion as outright aggression.
Détente began to unravel at the end of the 1970s. In 1979, the Iranian Revolution and subsequent U.S. embassy hostage crisis damaged American confidence and weakened President Carter’s leadership. The most serious blow to détente came in December 1979, when Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan. A left-wing government, the PDPA, had seized power in 1978 and signed a treaty with Moscow. Its radical reforms provoked widespread Islamic resistance, and Soviet leaders feared the regime would collapse, especially after the Iranian Revolution (1979) increased religious unrest across the region. Believing they were protecting a socialist ally and preventing instability near their borders, the Soviets sent about 85,000 troops to Kabul. The United States saw the invasion as outright aggression.
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President Carter denounced the USSR for violating international law, suspended ratification of SALT II, cut grain exports, and led a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The invasion convinced many in the West that détente had failed. Rather than reducing tension, the late 1970s now appeared to show renewed Soviet expansionism, triggering the “Second Cold War.”
During the Soviet–Afghan War, the USA armed and funded Islamist mujahideen to weaken Moscow. This included supplying Stinger rockets (Left) that crippled Soviet aircraft. Fighters such as Osama bin Laden benefited from this support. After 1989, some veterans turned against the West, contributing indirectly to the rise of al-Qaeda and 9/11. |
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Missiles (1977–79)
A parallel challenge to détente emerged in Europe with the deployment of new nuclear weapons. In 1977, the Soviet Union began installing SS-20 intermediate-range missiles, mobile and highly accurate, capable of striking targets across Western Europe. NATO feared the SS-20 created a dangerous imbalance in the strategic landscape. In response, the United States proposed the deployment of Cruise and Pershing II missiles from 1979. Cruise missiles were designed to evade radar and deliver a precise first strike, raising Soviet fears of a repeat of 1941 — a surprise attack. The resulting tension increased mistrust on both sides. Even as arms control agreements existed on paper, both superpowers continued modernising their arsenals. For many European governments — and increasingly for Moscow — the late 1970s looked less like détente and more like preparation for a new stage of the Cold War.
A parallel challenge to détente emerged in Europe with the deployment of new nuclear weapons. In 1977, the Soviet Union began installing SS-20 intermediate-range missiles, mobile and highly accurate, capable of striking targets across Western Europe. NATO feared the SS-20 created a dangerous imbalance in the strategic landscape. In response, the United States proposed the deployment of Cruise and Pershing II missiles from 1979. Cruise missiles were designed to evade radar and deliver a precise first strike, raising Soviet fears of a repeat of 1941 — a surprise attack. The resulting tension increased mistrust on both sides. Even as arms control agreements existed on paper, both superpowers continued modernising their arsenals. For many European governments — and increasingly for Moscow — the late 1970s looked less like détente and more like preparation for a new stage of the Cold War.
The end of Détente
Public opinion in the USA turned against détente, with critics claiming it made too many concessions to the USSR. The election of Ronald Reagan (1980) brought a decisive shift: he rejected détente as naïve and promised to rebuild American strength. Negotiations on SALT II collapsed, and the world entered the more confrontational period sometimes called the Second Cold War.
Public opinion in the USA turned against détente, with critics claiming it made too many concessions to the USSR. The election of Ronald Reagan (1980) brought a decisive shift: he rejected détente as naïve and promised to rebuild American strength. Negotiations on SALT II collapsed, and the world entered the more confrontational period sometimes called the Second Cold War.
Activity
1. Explain what Detente means then outline the main reasons why a) USA and b) USSR were keen on pursuing the policy.
2. What evidence is there that relations between the superpowers improved in the 1970s?
3. What evidence is there that superpower relations were largely unchanged in the 1970s? (See presentation above)
1. Explain what Detente means then outline the main reasons why a) USA and b) USSR were keen on pursuing the policy.
2. What evidence is there that relations between the superpowers improved in the 1970s?
3. What evidence is there that superpower relations were largely unchanged in the 1970s? (See presentation above)