Détente was the general reduction in the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and a "thawing" of the Cold War that occurred from the late 1960s until the start of the 1980s. More generally, it may be applied to any international situation where previously hostile nations not involved in an open war "warm up" to each other and threats de-escalate. The Cold War was the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and its allies. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1960s. ...

Causes

Both sides had pressing reasons to seek relaxation in tensions. Leonid Brezhnev and the rest of the Soviet leadership felt that the economic burden of the nuclear arms race was unsustainable. The American economy was also in financial trouble as the Vietnam War drained government finances at the same time as Lyndon Johnson, and to a lesser extent Richard Nixon, sought to expand the government welfare state. Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev  listen (Russian: Леони́д Ильи́ч Бре́жнев) (December 19, 1906 – November 10, 1982) was effective ruler of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982, though at first in partnership with others. ... The nuclear arms race was a competition for supremacy in nuclear weapons between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War. ... The Vietnam War was fought from 1957 to 1975 between Soviet-supported Vietnamese nationalist and Communist forces and an array of Western and pro-Western forces, most notably the United States. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... Order: 37th President Vice President: Spiro Agnew (1969–1973), Gerald R. Ford (1973–1974) Term of office: January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974 Preceded by: Lyndon B. Johnson Succeeded by: Gerald R. Ford Date of birth: January 9, 1913 Place of birth: Yorba Linda, California Date of death: April 22... Welfare state describes a nation where the government seeks to guarantee a set of social welfare benefits meant to ensure minimum quality of life standards for all citizens. ...

In Europe the Ostpolitik of Willy Brandt was decreasing tensions and the Soviets hoped that with Détente more trade with Western Europe would be possible. Soviet thinkers also felt that a less aggressive policy could potentially detach the Europeans from their American ally. Ostpolitik or Eastern Politics was the effort by Willy Brandt, Chancellor of West Germany, to normalize relations with Eastern European nations including East Germany. ... Willy Brandt (December 18, 1913 – October 8, 1992) was a German politician and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1969 to 1974. ...

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. Improved relations with China also helped thaw the American view of communism in general. All people of the world unite, to overthrow American imperialism, to overthrow Soviet revisionism, to overthrow the reactionaries of all nations! (Chinese poster, 1969) The Sino-Soviet split was a major conflict between the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic of China, beginning in the late 1950s, reaching a...

There was rough parity in nuclear weapons and it was clear that a state of mutually assured destruction had been reached, and there were new fears connected to the realization that there was a possibility that the "relative gains" theory as to the predictable consequences of war was no longer appropriate. A "sensible middle ground" was the goal. Mutually assured destruction (MAD) is the doctrine of military strategy in which a full scale use of nuclear weapons by one of two opposing sides would result in the destruction of both the attacker and the defender. ...

Soviet poster, "peace" in both Russian and English

Both Brezhnev and Nixon felt that improved relations would lead to a domestic popularity boost and secure their positions of power. Soviet poster, Peace in both Russian and English This file or image is copyrighted. ... Soviet poster, Peace in both Russian and English This file or image is copyrighted. ...

Summits and Treaties

The most obvious manifestation of Détente was the series of summits held between the leaders of the two superpowers and the treaties that resulted from these meetings. Earlier in the 1960s, before Détente the Partial Test Ban Treaty had been signed in 1963. Later in the decade the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Outer Space Treaty were two of the first elements of Détente. These earlier treaties did little to curb the superpower's abilities, however, and were mostly to limit the nuclear ambitions of third parties that could endanger both superpowers. The Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT), Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT), or Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (NTBT), although the former also refers to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), is a treaty... Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Opened for signature July 1, 1968 at New York Entered into force March 5, 1970 Conditions for entry into force Ratification by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and 40 other signatory states. ... The Outer Space Treaty contains an undertaking not to place in orbit around the Earth, install on the moon or any other celestial body, or otherwise station in outer space, nuclear or any other weapons of mass destruction. ...

The most important treaties were not signed until Nixon took power. Beginning in 1969 at a summit in Helsinki the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks led to the signing of the SALT I treaty in 1972, this treaty limited each power's nuclear arsenals. It was quickly out of date as a result of the development of MIRVs, however. In the same year SALT I was signed the Biological Weapons Convention and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty were also agreed to. Talks on SALT II also began in 1972. 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Helsinki (pronounced with the stress on the first syllable in Finnish: ), or Helsingfors in Swedish  listen?, is the capital of Finland. ... SALT I 1969-1972 SALT II 1972-1979 External links http://www. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Biological Weapons Convention Opened for signature April 10, 1972 at ??? Entered into force March 26, 1975 Conditions for entry into force ??? Parties ??? The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (usually referred to as just Biological Weapons... The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (or ABM treaty) was a treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the limitation of the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems used in defending areas against missile-delivered nuclear weapons. ... SALT II was a second round of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks from 1972-1979 between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which sought to curtail the manufacture of strategic nuclear weapons. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...

In 1975 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe met and produced the Helsinki Accords, a wide ranging series of agreements on economic, political, and human rights issues. 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... The Helsinki Accords is the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe held in Helsinki in 1975 between the United States and Canada, the Soviet Union and the countries of Europe, including Turkey but not Albania. ...

Trade relations between the two blocks increased substantially, most notable were the vast shipments of grain that were sent from the west to the Soviet Union each year, and helped make up for the failure of collectivized agriculture. An assortment of grains The word grain has a great many meanings, most being descriptive of a small piece or particle. ... A kolkhoz  listen (Russian: колхо́з) was a form of collective farming in the Soviet Union that existed along with state farms or sovkhozes. ...

Continued Conflicts

Despite the growing amicability of the two superpowers heated competition continued between the two, especially in the Third World. Wars in South Asia in 1971 and the Middle East in 1973 saw the superpowers back their sides with materiel and diplomatic support. In Latin America the Soviet Union continued efforts to foment revolutions, while the United States continued to block any leftward shift in the region. For much of the Détente period the Vietnam War continued to rage. Neither side trusted the other fully and the potential for nuclear war remained. Each side continued to have thousands of ICBMs pointed at the other’s cities, submarines in the oceans of the world, and forces guarding disputed borders in Korea and Europe. The espionage war continued unabated as defectors, reconnaissance satellites, and signal interceptions were still a priority for both sides. For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ... Map of South Asia. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... The Vietnam War was fought from 1957 to 1975 between Soviet-supported Vietnamese nationalist and Communist forces and an array of Western and pro-Western forces, most notably the United States. ... Nuclear war, or atomic war, is war in which nuclear weapons are used. ... A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ... Korea (한국) is a formerly unified country, situated on the Korean Peninsula in northern East Asia, bordering on China to the west and Russia to the north. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... A defector is generally a person who gives up allegiance to a certain country in exchange for allegiance to another. ... A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite or recon sat) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. ...

End of Détente

Détente began to unravel in 1979 due to a series of events. The Iranian Revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis embarrassed the United States and led much of the American public to believe their nation had lost its international power and prestige. 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... Protestors take to the street in support of Ayatollah Khomeini. ...

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to shore up a struggling allied regime led to harsh criticisms in the west and a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, which were to be held in Moscow. American President Jimmy Carter boosted the U.S. defense budget and began to heavily subsidize the anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan. The Games of the XXII Olympiad were held in 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union. ... Moscow (Russian/Cyrillic: Москва́, pronunciation: Moskvá) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva, and encompassing 1097. ... Order: 39th President Vice President: Walter Mondale Term of office: January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 Preceded by: Gerald Ford Succeeded by: Ronald Reagan Date of birth: October 1, 1924 Place of birth: Plains, Georgia First Lady: Rosalynn Carter Political party: Democratic James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ...

The 1980 American presidential election saw Ronald Reagan elected on a platform opposed to the concessions of Détente and committed to restarting the arms race. Negotiations on SALT II were abandoned and relations once again soured. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Order: 40th President Vice President: George H.W. Bush Term of office: 21 January 1981 – 20 January 1989 Preceded by: Jimmy Carter Succeeded by: George H.W. Bush Date of birth: 6 February 1911 Place of birth: Tampico, Illinois Date of death: 5 June 2004 Place of death: Bel-Air... SALT II was a second round of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks from 1972-1979 between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which sought to curtail the manufacture of strategic nuclear weapons. ...

Opinions on Détente

Opinions on Détente remain divided. In the United States the modern right wing Anti-Communist opinion of the détente era is that it was a mistake that enabled the Soviet Union to survive for a longer period of time; the general left-liberal opinion is that any reduction of the likelihood of nuclear Armageddon is a positive outcome and that the United States also needed a respite from the taxing arms race. In much of Europe the Détente-era warming, improved relations with Eastern European states, and Soviet failure to follow ensuing human-rights agreements are seen as partial roots for later dissident movements in Eastern Europe, such as the Czech Charter 77. In any case, given the strong ideological divide between Eastern and Western governments, it was unlikely that the Détente situation could be extended forever. In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... World War III is the name given to a hypothetical world war that would be fought between superpowers with weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons. ... The Charter 77 (Charta 77 in Czech and in Slovak) was an informal civic initiative in Czechoslovakia from 1977 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. ...