End of the Cold War 1975 1989 NOTES

End of the Cold War 1975 -1989

NOTE’S REVIEW 1. How did the Cold War impact Cuba? 2. What is the Space Race? 3. Briefly define. . . a. Berlin Wall b. The Berlin Blockade c. The Berlin Airlift

1)HEATING UP THE COLD WAR As early as 1949, the Soviet Union had developed their own atomic bomb. Two things that helped: ● 1. German scientists and 2. a highly successful Russian spy group By 1962, both the US and USSR had the nuclear triad ● Both could send the nuclear bomb by: ■ Bomber aircraft ■ Land-based Intercontinental ballistic missiles ■ Submarine-launched ballistic missiles

2)M. A. D. (MUTUAL ASSURED DESTRUCTION) Brinkmanship ● Belief that only going to the brink of war would protect the U. S. from going to war with the Soviet Union. ● Examples � Korean War, Berlin Crisis, Cuban Missile Crisis ● U. S. would threaten mass retaliation with Soviet Union in order to try to get them to back off.

3)END OF THE COLD WAR After the US withdrew from Vietnam, the policy of containment had suffered a severe blow. ■ Leaders from both sides began to speak more openly about limiting hostility. ■ Detente ● Easing tensions between the US and USSR using diplomatic, commercial & cultural contact ■ SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) I and II ● Slowed the nuclear arms race by limiting warhead numbers and ICBMs.

Other Nuclear Threats!?

4) End of the Cold War Détente didn’t always work out though ● Soviets invade Afghanistan, 1979 ○ This became the Russian “Vietnam War” ■ Large army attacking a guerilla force (Mujahideen) ■ America supported the Afghan forces to stop Russian expansion into the Middle East ○ Included the support of Osama Bin Laden ■ The Russians left in 1989 without conquering Afghanistan

5) AMERICAN PROBLEMS IN THE M IDDLE EAST 1974 OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) ○ Temporarily embargoed oil for any country who supported Israel ● Caused gas shortages and high prices in the US 1979, Iran’s monarch was overthrown by Ayatollah Khomeini and turned into an Islamic theocracy ○ The US Embassy in Iran was attacked and 66 hostages were taken and held for 444 days

Moving into the 80’s

6) BEFOREWE CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THECOLD WAR BHOPAL, India ● Strict American laws pushed some chemical manufacturers to look elsewhere when setting up their factories. ○ Most of these went to Third World Nations ■ UNION CARBIDE built a pesticide chemical plant in BHOPAL, INDIA ■ December 3, 1984 – a cloud of gas containing 45 tons of a deadly concentrated pesticide ingredient leaked out of a high pressure storage tank

7) BEFORE WE CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THECOLD W AR Before the cloud scattered, 2, 500 were KILLED and over 200, 000 were injured (many injuries were long-term… blindness, sterility, kidney disease, liver infection, and brain damage)

8) BEFORE WE CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THECOLD W AR Chernobyl, USSR was the site of a major nuclear explosion ● April 26, 1986, an explosion at the plant led to radioactive material of the surrounding area ■ It is regarded as the worst nuclear disaster in history ● Over 330, 000 people were evacuated and resettled