What was detente in the 1970s

The leadership of the two countries signed a second SALT agreement but did not ratify it, although both nations voluntarily adhered to the provisions for reduced limits on strategic weapons for years thereafter. By the time the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in , the spirit of cooperation had been replaced with renewed competition and formal implementation of the SALT II agreement stalled.

Arms control talks ceased in the early s and only restarted when Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union. Menu Menu. Milestones: — For more information, please see the full notice. Garraty, Editors. All rights reserved. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. On August 5, , representatives of the United States, Soviet Union and Great Britain signed the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons in outer space, underwater or in the atmosphere.

The treaty, which President John F. Kennedy signed However, the relationship between the two nations was a tense one. Nikita Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War, serving as premier from to Though he largely pursued a policy of peaceful coexistence with the West, the Cuban Missile Crisis began after he positioned nuclear weapons 90 miles from Share Flipboard Email.

Robert Longley. History and Government Expert. Robert Longley is a U. Facebook Facebook. Updated February 03, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Longley, Robert. National Security Definition and Examples. What Is Communism? Definition and Examples. The Relationship Between U. What Is Mutually Assured Destruction? Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for ThoughtCo. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

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