Threats to DétenteLesson starterDescribe the consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

(4 marks)

Today we will understand the events that threatened

Detente

The following events are evidence of how

Détente had come to a halt by the 1980s (2010

paper)

• USSR invades Afghanistan in 1979 to protect Communist government from Mujeheddin (Muslim Rebel) attack

• USA back Muslim Rebels

Mujaheddin

1980 Ronald Reagan is new President of USA and is fiercely anti- Communist

Mid 1970s

African Civil Wars on Angola and Mozambique

Russians back one side, USA back anti – Communist forces

1978

Nicaragua (South America) government overthrown by Communists

USA concerned

Reagan gave the go-ahead to create a new nuclear weapon, the neutron bomb

He increased defence spending

He publicly called the USSR the ‘Evil Empire’

• Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI)

• Plan to build a laser shield around US

• ‘Star Wars'• Not a realistic

possibility but it worried Soviets

•Fortunately Gorbachev (1985 onwards) was realistic

•He knew USSR defence spending could not compete with USA

•He knew he would have to come to terms with Reagan