C19 The Second Cold War

Question 1

Soviet Union and Afghanistan 1978-79

Answer 1

• PDPA regime ally of the Soviet Union led by Hafizullah Amin
• Amin starting to align with US so Soviets at risk of losing strategic and economic influence

Question 2

What were the Soviet interests in Afghanistan

Answer 2

• 2500km border
• Afghanistan socialist state and ally of USSR
• If aligned with US give it geostrategic power
• Soviets viewed their actions in Afghanistan being consistent with Basic Principles of detente 1972

Question 3

USA’s reaction to Afghanistan 1978-79

Answer 3

• Iran’s pro-American regime overthrown by anti-American Islamic fundamentalists Led by Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeni
• US feared of collapse and leave vulnerable to communist influences
• Jimmy Carter now saw SALT II as being impossible
• Carter released the Carter Doctrine January 1980

Question 4

What was said in the address to the Nation on 4 January 1980 for measures aimed at USSR

Answer 4

• A deferral of action on cultural and economic exchanges
• Restriction of Soviet fishing privileges in American waters
• Ban on the sale of high technology and strategic items to the Soviets
• AN embargo on sales of grain to the Soviet Union
• US military and economic assistance to Pakistan to enhance that states security

Question 5

What was the Carter Doctrine

Answer 5

• Carter feared that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a new direction in Soviet global strategy
• Thought it was initial step to establishing presence in Persian Gulf but also Indian Ocean which could threaten key oil shipments
• Went onto increasing defense budget in 1981
• This was the final stage of Detente

Question 6

New Personality: Ronald Reagan

Answer 6

• 1980s saw the arms race accelerate and superpowers could destroy Earth several times over
• Reagan blamed previous administrations for allowing the US to be taken advantage of
• Speech March 1983 referred to the Soviet leaders as being responsible for all of the unrest
• Believed USA needed to return to unilateralism and restore its military strength

Question 7

What were Reagan’s Cold War Policies

Answer 7

• Opposed summit talks and rejected detente
• Increased defense spending to 1.4 trillion and deployed 700 new nuclear weapons
• Authorized Naval exercises with nuclear submarines near Soviet waters
• Authorized SDI

Question 8

Problems with Arms Control in the early 1980s

Answer 8

• Response of pressure from Europe the ‘freeze’ movement started and the Reagan administration by the end of 1981 began START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks)
• However the talks stalled until mid-1982 but gap widened even more with US wanting to place missiles in Europe and proceeded with it in November 1983

Question 9

Margaret Thatcher

Answer 9

• Feb 1981 Thatcher visited Reagan
• June 1982 Reagan visited Britain
• Reagan had a speech that presented an attack on the Soviet Union calling for ‘Crusade for freedom’
• For Thatcher Reagan had to put ‘Freedom on the offensive’
• Thatcher allowed US to launched F-111 bombers against Libya 1986
• But was less willing to back Reagan’s SDI project
• Thatcher still modernized the Trident program

Question 10

What were Thatcher’s Cold War policies

Answer 10

• Valued friendship with USA
• Provided economic and military support for NATO
• Supported US military in Europe and North Africa
• Supported policy of deterrence rather than detente

Question 11

Who was Pope John Paul II

Answer 11

• 1978 was elected as Pope from Poland
• Focused his first encyclical on dignity of man and protection of human rights
• June 79 visited Poland where 12 million people turned up

Question 12

What were Pope John Paul II concerns

Answer 12

• Protection of human rights
• Religious freedoms
• Open borders
• Reconciliation
• Need to reunite Europe

Question 13

Solidarity in Poland

Answer 13

• By 1980 Poland experiencing economic crisis
• During July and August about 300,000 workers went on strike and government imposed food price rise of 100%
• Government allowed first independent trade union named Solidarity led by Lech Walesa
• Membership grew to 10 million and strikes erupted throughout the country
• Proposed a National Referendum

Question 14

Reaction of USSR to Solidarity in Poland

Answer 14

• Concerned about concessions being made to Solidarity started military intervention along the Polish Frontier
• June 1981 Soviet Politburo decided to not undertake military intervention in Poland
• Soviets feared resistance as would face increase economic sanctions
• 6 September 1981 General Wojciech Jaruzelski became communist leader and threatened to impose martial law

Question 15

Implications of Martial Law in Poland 1981

Answer 15

• 13 December 1981 General Jarzelski imposed martial law
• All gatherings and demonstrations were banned
• Dissemination of information was banned
• Curfew imposed 10pm-6am
• Official permission needed to be away from home for more than 48 hours
• Only 1 state controlled radio and TV station
• Solidarity leaders were arrested and the union banned

Question 16

Shooting down of KAL 007

Answer 16

• 1 September 1983 KAL 007 shot down
• USSR claimed US espionage mission
• 269 people died, 61 Americans
• September 28th Yuri Andropov (Leader of USSR) seeking to evaluate Soviet perception of Reagan administration

Question 17

What was Able Archer 1983

Answer 17

• It was the code name for a NATO ‘war game’
• It was an exercise to test US and European readiness to deal with nuclear strikes form the USSR

Question 18

The stationing of Nuclear weapons in Europe 1983

Answer 18

• Decision to deploy Perishing II missiles was announced in 1979
• Missiles deployed in 1983 in West Germany at the same time ‘Able Archer’ was occuring