Explain the reasons for detente in the 1970s and assess how successful it was in easing Cold War tension

What this dot point is asking

SEAB wants you to explain why the superpowers sought to ease the tension of the Cold War in the 1970s, a period known as "detente", and to assess how successful it was. You should be able to explain the reasons for detente (fear of nuclear war, the cost of the arms race, and each side's own pressures), describe what detente involved (arms-control agreements and improved relations), and explain its limits and eventual breakdown. The task combines explanation (why detente happened) with judgement (how successful it was). A strong answer weighs the achievements against the limits.

The answer

What detente meant

Detente is a French word meaning a relaxing or easing of tension. In the Cold War it refers to the period, mainly in the 1970s, when the United States and the Soviet Union tried to reduce the dangerous tension between them. They did not become friends or end their rivalry, but they sought to manage it more calmly through talks, agreements and greater contact, rather than through constant confrontation. Detente was an attempt to make the Cold War safer and more predictable, especially by limiting the nuclear arms race.

Why the superpowers wanted detente

Several pressures pushed both sides toward detente. The most important was fear of nuclear war: the terror of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 had shown how close the world could come to catastrophe, and both sides wanted to reduce that risk. The arms race was also enormously expensive, so limiting weapons could free up money for other needs. Beyond this, each superpower had its own reasons. The United States had been weakened and divided by the Vietnam War and wanted to reduce its overseas burdens. The Soviet Union faced growing economic problems and wanted access to Western trade, food and technology. For both, easing tension made sense.

The achievements of detente

Detente produced real achievements. The most important were agreements to limit nuclear weapons, especially the SALT talks (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks), which placed limits on the numbers of certain nuclear weapons and slowed the arms race. There were summit meetings between American and Soviet leaders, which improved personal contact and trust. Relations between the West and the communist bloc improved more generally, including a major agreement in which the powers recognised the borders in Europe and made promises about human rights. There was also increased trade and cultural contact between the two sides. For a time, the Cold War seemed genuinely less dangerous.

The limits of detente

Detente had clear limits, and a balanced answer must recognise them. The two sides remained rivals and continued to compete for influence around the world, supporting opposing sides in various conflicts. The arms-control agreements limited but did not end the arms race, and both sides kept large arsenals. Deep distrust remained beneath the improved atmosphere. Detente eased the worst of the tension but did not end the Cold War or the underlying conflict between the two systems.

The breakdown of detente

By the end of the 1970s detente was breaking down. Relations cooled as the two sides accused each other of taking advantage of detente to gain influence in the developing world. The decisive blow came in 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The United States and the West condemned this strongly, and relations sharply worsened, beginning a more tense period sometimes called the "Second Cold War" in the early 1980s. So detente, while it achieved real things, proved temporary. Tension only finally fell for good later, under the new Soviet leader Gorbachev.

Examples in context

Example 1. The SALT agreements. The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks led to agreements that, for the first time, placed limits on the numbers of certain nuclear weapons held by the superpowers. While they did not reduce arsenals dramatically, they slowed the arms race and showed that the two sides could negotiate over their most dangerous weapons. The SALT agreements are the clearest practical achievement of detente.

Example 2. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, 1979. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support a communist government there, the United States and the West reacted angrily, seeing it as Soviet expansion. Relations sharply worsened, arms-control progress stalled, and the West responded with measures including a boycott of the Moscow Olympics. This invasion is usually seen as the event that ended detente and ushered in a more tense period in the early 1980s.

Try this

Q1. What does the word "detente" mean? [3 marks]

• Cue. An easing or relaxing of tension; in the Cold War, the period, mainly in the 1970s, when the superpowers tried to reduce tension through talks and agreements.

Q2. Explain why the cost of the arms race encouraged detente. [5 marks]

• Cue. Building ever more nuclear weapons was hugely expensive for both superpowers; by agreeing to limit weapons (as in SALT), they could reduce the burden and free up resources, which encouraged them to ease tension.

Q3. "Detente failed because it did not end the Cold War." How far do you agree? [8 marks]

• Cue. Argue it did not end the rivalry and broke down by 1979, but weigh against its real achievements in reducing nuclear danger and improving relations in the 1970s before judging.