Nixon and Detente

7.5 End of Cold War

Berlin Wall

- The Berlin blockade failed to collapse the city in 1949

As the Cold War went on people could travel freely between East and West Berlin but that ended as the Space Race was heating up.

Many educated people in East Berlin were trying to escape and go to West Berlin, so the Soviet Union creates an actual wall to separate East Berlin from West Berlin. The goal was to prevent people from the communist run East Berlin from entering West Berlin

Multiple Choice

After World War II, many Germans left East Germany to live in the more productive, democratic West Germany. How did the government of East Berlin try to contain defections from East to West Berlin?

• Improve conditions in East Berlin
• Allowed people to work in the West
• Allow them to leave as they please
• Build a wall to keep people from moving to west Berlin

Détente

Nixon (1969-1974)

Once elected president he pursues a policy of Détente - an easing of tension 

He does this by slowly ending Vietnam War, signing SALT (froze the number of ballistic missile launchers at existing levels), reduced armed forces size, and helped the USSR with their food shortage.

Carter (1977-1981)

Continued Détente until the Soviets invaded Afghanistan - this caused détente to temporarily end. Carter went against Détente by halting grain sales, boycotting 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and postponed SALT II

Multiple Choice

What is Détente?

• An easing of tensions

• Increased Tensions

Multiple Choice

What event ended the policy of Détente?

• Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty

• Invasion of Afghanistan

• The Carter Doctrine

• Iranian Embassy siege

Reagan 1981-1989

The Reagan Doctrine

Rather than just containing communism lets help anti-communist rebels overthrow their communist governments. Reagan provided aid to Afghanistan. Reagan thought to prevent future wars let's make sure America’s enemies know the US has the “means and will” to stop aggression  

Star Wars

Reagan increased spending in anti-ballistic defense systems to shoot down nuclear missiles. Soviet couldn’t keep up with our technology.

The Economic War 

Reagan undercut the USSR sales in Western Europe weakening their economy

The Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall fell in 1989 symbolically marking the end of the Cold War

Multiple Choice

What did the destruction of the Berlin Wall symbolize?

• the fall of communism
• the fall of capitalism
• the end of the Vietnam War
• the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Mikhail Gorbachev 1990-1991

Failing Soviet Union

In order to try and preserve the Soviet Union Gorbachev came up with two plans

-Glasnost - political openness - moving away from strict communist control  

-Perestroika - moving towards capitalism - people could own business and property for the first time since the creation of the Soviet Union

Policies don't work 

The relaxed communist policies led to discontent in the Soviet Union as well as many of the 14 Soviet Republics/satellite countries wanted their independence 

Multiple Select

What two policies did Mikhail Gorbachev adopt to try and save the Soviet Union? (click

• Detente

• Glasnost

• Perestroika

• Berlin Wall

The Breakup of the Soviet Union

^{1. Soviet Union economy failing}

^{2. Arms Race & Space Race to expensive}

^{3. Many of the republics in the Soviet Union wanted their independence}

^{4. Huge inequality gap & dying off of old Communist leaders led to new democratic ideas emerging}

Multiple Choice

After the fall of the USSR, what did many parts of the former USSR do?

• Attempted to reestablish communism
• Break away from Soviet Union and become independent
• Establish their own communist government
• Change their economic system to the command economy system

The End 1947-1991

December 25, 1991 the Soviet Union no longer existed!

The Cold War is over and the United States won!

Multiple Choice

During the Cold War, which event happened last?

• Launching of SPUTNIK
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• Berlin Airlift
• Destruction of Berlin Wall