8. Second Cold War
What was the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) more popularly referred to as?
'Star Wars' Programme, term was coined by opposers, with the intention of discrediting SDI, by suggesting war was being extended to space.
To which bombings had Libya been linked?
1985 bombings at airports in Rome and Vienna, and terrorist action against a Berlin nightclub in 1986.
What did the US launch after the announcement of SDI?
A $26 billion five year programme, Reagan believed it was a way of ending nuclear arms race.
What happened in November 1982?
A change in Soviet leadership, Brezhnev died, and was succeeded by Yuri Andropov.
What was the Solidarity Movement?
A group of Polish strikers who demanded independent unions, (banned in Communist states). Inspired other eastern Europeans who wanted reforms.
What happened on 1 September 1983?
A major blow to Soviet-American relations came with the shooting down of a Korean civil airliner, KAL 007, by a Soviet interceptor?
What was Reagan's foreign policy heavily focused on?
A restoration of US military power. Carter's final defence budget had proposed $17.4 billion for military spending, by 1989, Reagan presented needs at $300 billion.
What did the USSR want regarding international relations?
A return to Détente, initially expected Reagan to support this, although this expectation was soon undermined by Reagan's confrontation rhetoric.
What did Reagan believe a defence system again ISCMs would do?
Act as an incentive for the Soviet Union to reduce their stocks of these weapons. Belief was that if SDI made a first strike impossible to succeed, their would be no need for heavy ICBMs.
What policies was Reagan determined to pursue?
Aggressive policies designed to change Soviet behaviour.
What was the US response to Soviet martial law being imposed?
All US government shipments of agricultural products were banned, Polish fishing rights in American waters were suspended as were landing rights to the Polish national airline in the US. 1981, they withdrew the most-favoured-nation(MFN) trade status from Poland. Also blocked Poland from receiving aid from the IMF and suspended sales of oil and gas technology to the USSR.
What did Reagan blame previous administrations of?
Allowing the US to be taken advantage of and therefore their global power to be eroded.
What did Reagan resurrect in his 'National Security: Address to the Nation' on 23 March 1983?
An additional element to the nuclear arms race.
What did the Soviets claim KAL 007 was doing?
An intelligence gathering mission on behalf of the US.
What expansions in US military did Reagan make?
Approached the new development of Stealth aircrafts, designed to be invisible to enemy radar systems. Also restored development programs that Carter had cancelled such as the neutron bomb programme.
How did Reagan refer to Soviet leaders in a speech in March 1983?
As 'the focus of evil in the modern world'.
How did the European states view the action of June 1982?
As a restriction on trade, they were further angered by US signing a trade agreement with USSR, enabling USSR to buy US grain. Convinced Europeans they were paying for economic assault on USSR whilst US benefitted.
How did Andropov describe Soviet-American relations in June 1983?
As being 'marked by confrontation, unprecedented in the entire post-war period by its intensity and sharpness'.
How did Thatcher view the Cold War?
As having gone on to long, the Soviet Union having being propped up by Détente.
When did the START talks end?
At the end of 1983, like the INF talks.
What was Reagan's response to the Soviets leaving the START talks?
Blamed the Soviet Union for the breakdown.
How was US bombing of Libya received in Europe?
Britain facilitated the attack, but there was widespread opposition across the rest of Europe. France and Spain refused to allow US military aircraft to fly through their airspace on route to Libya. Europe believed attacks would generate more terrorism, which would be inflicted on Europe.
What major objective of the US did Reagan state early on in his administration that affected Libya?
Defeating terrorism, evidence had been mounting since 1981 that Libya was a source of international terrorism. All political and economic ties were severed between US and Libya in 1981.
What was the Soviet pipeline intended to do?
Deliver about 20% of participating western European states' gas needs. Project generated employment when unemployment was high.
How did Reagan believe the Soviet challenge should be addressed?
Détente and the cooperative resolution of conflicts upon which it was founded should be abandoned. US needed to return to unilateralism and restore military strength.
Why did US question the extent of their economic commitment to strategic defence of Europe?
Europe became increasingly more prosperous, economically integrated, and a threat to America's economic power globally.
What problems did the Reagan administration raise in the tense Europe-USA relationship?
Europe doubted Reagan's commitment to arms control, fearing the development of US unilateral arms build-up under Reagan, particularly the move towards SDI.
How did the Reagan administration want to manage international terrorism?
Favoured direct attacks such as those carried out in Libya.
How did Europe want to manage international terrorism?
Favoured other methods of reducing terrorism and a more united and coordinated approach to anti-terrorist actions within Europe.
What was Andropov's view on Détente?
He was committed to reviving it but realised the US were not.
How did the US respond to Soviet view on KAL 007 purpose?
Immediately denied it, accused the Soviet Union of wilfully destroying a civil aircraft and killing 269 people in the process.
How did US attempt to justify its actions with Soviet pipeline?
In terms of European security, rationale was Europe would become depend on Soviet gas supplies and this would expose it to Soviet pressure in the form of threats to withhold the supply.
How did Soviets view Reagan?
Interested in confrontation and cold war rather than the containment and competition which had characterised Détente.
What was Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) replaced with?
MAS, Mutual Assured Survival. However SDI appeared to challenge foundations of the concept of mutual deterrence.
What was imposed in Poland in December 1981?
Martial law, to bring Solidarity under control, although many supporters continued to organise secretly.
How did Reagan's position change after 23 March 1983?
Moved from assured defence as basis of deterrence to one of assured retaliation. This concept was officially known as the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI).
What was the Soviet response to the SDI scheme?
Negative, Andropov reminded Reagan of mutual deterrence. They were convinced that the idea could not be delivered and there was no real prospect of developing a truly effective defence system. Also convinced that it could be effective against a less deadly retaliatory strike. Feared it would trigger another arms race.
What did Reagan's policies return the US to?
Position of containment and confrontation.
How was the situation in Poland in December 1980?
Possibility of Soviet intervention appeared to be receding but the internal political crisis was intensifying.
Why did the administration begin to accept the need for some limited cooperation by end of 1981?
Pressure from Europe and the increasingly popular US public support for a freeze on the deployment of all nuclear weapons. Result was known as Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START).
What did the NATO allies do in May 1982?
Reaffirmed these commitments and recognised the need for arms control and disarmament, together with deterrence and defence.
What was Reagan's defence spending increase at the heart of?
Reagan's aim to develop both nuclear and conventional forces in order to move US military capacity from defensive to offensive.
Why did US want to remove Soviet pipeline?
Represented a major economic link between East and West. Feared US influence over Western European policy towards USSR would be undermine if link remained intact.
Why was the 'zero option' heavily loaded against Soviet interests?
Required the USSR to dismantle nearly 600 intermdeiate-range missiles deployed since the late 50s. Option only dealt with land based missiles and not all sea-based missiles and aircraft, enabling US to undertake unlimited expansionism in these areas. Also limited missiles everywhere, not simply in Europe.
How did the US action against the USSR intensify further in June 1982?
Sales of equipment and technology for the construction of a Soviet gas pipeline into western Europe were banned. Ban also included sale of US technology manufactured in western Europe under US licence.
What did Thatcher do in response to Reagan's inauguration?
Sent a letter of congratulation
What was Thatcher's view of SDI?
She was concerned that western Europe would be defenceless without protective US nuclear force, and the SDI threatened to bring this about.
Who was the 'zero option' plan restricted to?
Soviet and US systems, British and French systems were excluded
What was clear by the 1983 regarding missiles?
That 'missile vulnerability' was a reality, the belief was that if one side embarked on a first strike it could then effectively disarm any counterforce strike.
What did Reagan decide about SALT II treaty?
That the US wouldn't ratify it.
What did the 1972 ABM Treaty acknowledge?
That there could be no effective defence against offensive nuclear missiles. Effectively removed the issue of ballistic missile defence from the arms agenda.
What view did the USSR take of the US actions with the START talks?
That they weren't seriously interested in negotiating a mutually beneficial and equitable agreement.
What example of good relations is there between Britain and US during the honeymoon period in Anglo-American relations?
Thatcher allowed the US to launch bomber against Libya in 1986.
What did the Reagan administration propose regarding the intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF)?
The 'zero option', basis of this was the US wouldn't deploy Cruise and Pershing II missiles if the Soviets removed their SS-20 missiles from Europe.
What did the KAL 007 incident demonstrate?
The growing divide between the US and the USSR, US focused on Soviet barbarity whiles US viewed act as US espionage.
What points of friction were there between Britain and US during the honeymoon period in Anglo-American relations?
The issue over Poland and the issue of the Soviet gas pipeline.
What did Soviet leadership continue to promote throughout 1981 and 1982?
The need for dialogue with the USA.
Where did the problem lie with the START talks?
The proposal to set limits on ICBMs, which would have demanded a cut of more than half of Soviet ICBM warheads and more than 2/3 of Soviet SS-18 and SS-19 warheads. However all other US strategic modernisation programmes would have continued. Increasing Soviet vulnerability.
What set the tone for Reagan's relationship with the Soviet Union?
The speech he delivered before the British parliament in June 1982.
How were relations between the US and Europe in the 1980s?
There was a glaring lack of uniformity and coordination, which had developed over decades and come to a head by the 1980s.
What impact did Reagan as president have on Anglo-American relations?
There was no doubt that whilst Reagan and Thatcher were in power, that Britain would remain a solid friend of the US.
What was the reality of SDI?
There was no possibility of creating such a defence system. It was an impossible dream but had a significant impact on relations.
What was the Western states response to Soviet martial law being imposed?
They announced some limited economic controls.
What was the American view of Europe in the 1980s?
They were too readily committed to Détente and arms control.
Why did Europe dislike SDI?
Threatened the ABM treaty, which was viewed as the keystone in the arch of security. Was feared it would risk an escalation in competition. Saw it as American plan aimed at isolationism.
How was the non-existent level of negotiations between the superpowers demonstrated?
Through the failure of the START negotiations, they didn't begin until mid-1982 and a year later the gap remained as wide as ever.
What decision did US make in Libya in 1986?
To bomb military targets, and the leader of Libya was also targets in these bombing raids.
What did the US push for in May 1981 at a NATO meeting?
To remove any references to Détente. This was strongly opposed by European allies. US eventually agreed to maintaining Soviet-American dialogue and working towards Détente.
What was Thatcher's reward for supporting Britain?
US agreed to allow Britain to extradite for trial in Northern Ireland suspected IRA terrorists who were taking refuge in the US.
What did some Europeans view the US actions with the Soviet pipeline as?
US sanctions were motivated by desire to undermine European Détente.
What was Reagan convinced was the outcome of Détente?
US trust in the Soviet Union being misplaced.
How did US show their commitment to Europe's security through the INF debate?
US viewed INF deployment as means of reinforcing the alliance. Europe viewed this as US desire to influence Europe and control their independence.
What led to USSR abandoning the START talks?
US was only interested in deploying missiles in Europe and proceeded with this in November 1983, deployment of the first Cruise and Pershing II missiles.
What did Reagan do in June 1982?
Visited Britain and made a speech in which he presented a devastating attack of the Soviet Union.
What did Thatcher do in February 1981?
Visited Reagan and began what was seen as a honeymoon period in Anglo-American relations.
When did the Soviet pipeline dispute come to a head?
When US announced it would impose sanctions on any European firm defying its embargo against Soviets. US were forced to back down, in late 1982, trade sanctions were withdrawn and it was agreed no further new gas contracts would be agreed with Soviet Union.
What did the SDI concept mean?
While each side had nuclear weapons of comparable destructive power, there would be a clear deterrent in place. But US was interested in developing anti- ballistic missiles ending that guarantee of mutual deference.
