Transcript 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
Peace
-1975-1985: Re-appearance of tensions: Cold
-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)
USA
USSR
Missiles possessed
in 1974
USA
USSR
Intercontinenta
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 vicepresident.
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 elSadat 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
Perestroika
• Gorbachev began the
process of perestroika, the
“restructuring” the country
• Dismantled the Soviet
central planning system
• Gorbachev held press
interviews.
• Allowed multiparty elections
• KGB’s files opened.
• Visited with China to ease
tensions between the nations
• Withdrew from Afghanistan
• 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
C/ The collapse of the Soviet bloc
2/ Revolutions in Eastern Europe
Poland
Hungary
•
Solidarity forced the government to hold elections.
•
Lech Walesa became Poland’s president in 1990.
•
Communist leader, Imre Pozgay accepted need for
reform-
• The nonviolent velvet revolution swept the
Czechoslo
Communists from power in November 1989.
vakia
• Writer Vaclav Havel became president.( Dubcek in
gov)1991
Romania
•
Violent revolution brought down Nicolae Ceausescu,
one of the Soviet bloc’s cruelest dictators.
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 reformers
Boris 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 2001Hijacked 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