Brezhnev's foreign policy 1964-84

By df3star
  • Brezhnev's aims

    -twin track approach
    -policy of détente and peaceful co-existence
    -occasions where he seemed keen to confront USA
    -gave assistance to friendly regimes
    -peaceful co-existence didn't mean a weakening of the ideological struggle
    -after Khru removed, gov had split power-too powerful
    -initally collective leadership, but by stealth B consolidated power base
  • How events in Europe influenced Brezhnev to follow détente

    -Fr withdrawal from NATO=division, Fr rebelling against USA power
    -Br losing position of power-more mediator + adviser
    -USA involved w/ Vietnam from mid 1960s-fighting unwinnable war w/ inhumane tactics
    -USSR hope to be moral leader
    -Sino Soviet relations rocky
  • Factors in foreign policy

    -relative nuclear parity allowed B to negotiate
    -Soviet economy huge factor for détente-1/6 the size of USA economy
    -too much money spent on armaments
    -reduce military spending to boost economic growth + improve living standards
    -low yield + harvest failures meant B wanted cheap grain from West
    -wanted access to superior Western technology
  • Aims for USA, Fr + W Ger

    -wanted détente to stabilise EU + restrain USSR
    -heavily involved in Vietnam War
    -Fr=undermining influence of both superpowers in EU so individual EU states could regain freedom
    -W Ger=essential precondition for remaining in contact w/ + helping fellow citizens in GDR
    -Br happy to not be involved
  • Ospolitik definition

    -policy towards East
    -change through rapprochement
    -change in E EU by establishing closer relations
    -W Ger to E Ger
    -improved trading relations w/ West
    -greater access to West technology
  • Attempts to improve relations w/ West

    -Brezhnev very willing to come to terms with Western Europe-less erratic and more of a conciliator and consensus seeker
    -relative nuclear parity enabled B to negotiate from position of strength which Khru hadn't enjoyed
    -Soviet economy huge factor in desire for détente
    -economy 1/6 size of USA-too much money spent on armaments
    -if Sov leaders were to boost eco growth + improve living standards-reduce military spending
    -low yield + harvest failures-wanted cheap grain from West
    -access to W tech
  • Period: to

    Improving situation between USA + USSR

    -B aim of nuclear parity-main causes of instability removed when achieved
    -no further nuclear crises
    -1963 Test Ban Treaty
    -1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty by USA, USSR + Br=banning transfer of nuclear weapons to other countries-W Ger joined 1 year later
    -weakening of relations between USA + other nations of EU-Vietnam, losing moral leader of W position-global confrontation of Comm rejected by EU allies
    -B less eratic + more conciliator + consensus seeker-negotiate with him
  • Effects of foreign policy on Brezhnev

    -same difficulties as Khru with weakening of Soviet control of nations of E EU
    -Cuba, poor relations w/ Mao + Détente combined to weaken Sov control + provided opportunites for satellite states to pursue own policies-Poland's moves to expand trade links w/ West + moves from Romania to improve relations w/ W Ger
    -Bucharest Declaration-increase control + placate wishes of E bloc to contact w/ West
  • Bucharest Declaration

    -West recognises post-war frontiers
    -creates new EU security system
    -everyone must veto nuclear weapons for W Ger
    -introduced program of economic, scientific + technological co-operation w/ E + W
    -in an attempt to placate wishes of some of East Bloc wishing for further contact w/ West
    -strengthen Soviet control over Warsaw Pact countries
  • France's attack on American influence

    -disagreements over Vietnam + assertiveness of W EU could've destroyed NATO + led to US withdrawal from W EU
    -De Gaulle vetoed Br's application to join European Economic Community 1963-Br too pro-USA
    -1966 Fr withdrew from NATO + expelled headquarters from Paris
    -visit to USSR-EU states should liberate themselves from bloc mentality
    -did all he could to weaken the dollar
    -way to project power
  • Western reactions to détente

    -1967 Dec Hamel Report-committed NATO to defending W EU + reaching détente w/ Warsaw Pact states
    -prevented political fallout from Vietnam War destroying West alliance
    -improved relations USA + USSR important-Johnson's refusal to stand for office(unpop of war) Nixon determined to end conflict in Viet-improved relations=decreased Sov backing for N Viet
    -US economy stagnate, inflation rise, 1971 first USA trade deficit since 1945-reduce spend on defence vital, relations promote eco growth w/ trade
  • Non-Proliferation Treaty

    -Br, USA, USSR, pledged to not transfer nuclear weapons to other countries or to assist other states to manufacture them
    -FRG joined a year later
  • Prague Spring

    -mid 1960s growing discontent at repressive regime of Novotny-replaced by Dubcek-attempted to create socialist system based on consent of people rather than forced like USSR
    -not replacing communism but making it more acceptable-"socialism w/ a human face"
    -April 1968 programme of easing political control + modernisation of economy=Prague Spring
    -June abolished censorship-anti-sov propaganda
    -B warned of "common concern" from USSR + Warsaw Pact
    -D reluctantly restored censorship-troops withdrew
  • Prague Spring pt 2

    -Cz leadership planned to leave Warsaw Pact
    -20th Aug brought to end when 20 divisions of Warsaw Pact troops (Hungary, Poland, GDR + Bulgaria) invaded Cz
    -B defended this by saying "any threat to Socialism in a Warsaw Pact country is a threat to its allies
    -invasion widely condemned by West + within Communist world-criticism from Romania, Yugoslavia + China
  • Reactions of W govs to Cz

    -ended improvement in E-W relations
    -soviet tanks in Prague slowed down but did not halt progress
    -Fr PM said Cz was traffics accident on road to détente
    -W govs invested too much into détente to let it fail
    -protests over Sov actions but empty words
    -Johnson cancelled summit meeting w/ B but normal relations restored
  • The Brezhnev Doctrine

    -5th Congress of Polish United Workers' Party-justified invasion of Cz-"detrimental to other socialist states + would cause conflict with vital interests
    -USSR protect communism from outside influences + secure centralised power of Moscow over satellites-until 1989
    -B questioned any idea of independence + USSR would not tolerate any deviation-satellite states only limited sovereignty + USSR had right to intervene
    -stark reminder of what might befall Comm bloc countries tempted to leave
  • Development of Ostpolitik

    -Brandt Chancellor of W Ger
    -abandoned Hallstein Doctrine of 1955
    -Brandt wanted to improve lives of E Gers + build trust-eventual reunification
    -Moscow Treaty 1970, FRG + USSR, EU's post-war borders confirm + not precluding reunification
    -Warsaw Treaty 1970 Pol + FRG, accepted Oder-Niesse line
    -Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin 1971 by 4 war allies, guaranteed civilian access to W Berlin but no form of W Ger
    -Basic Treaty GFR + FRG 1972, both states respect borders + develop good relations
  • SALT I

    -Nixon + B
    -5yr freeze on construction of missile launchers + ballistic missiles
    -mutually assured destruction=peace
    -only 2 anti-ballistic scenes for each country,
    -Nixon accepted USSR should have more missiles, USA had MIRVs 1 for capital and 1 for main missile sites
    -decrease in defence budget for USA, Nix happy, advantage w/ MIRVs + more technologically advanced
    -likely that USA would develop effective ABMs ahead of USSR
  • Moscow Summit + Basic Principles Agreement

    -12 basic principles to govern superpower relations
    -accept peaceful co-existence
    -seek disarmament
    -increase trade
    -détente
    -showed 2 leaders committed to working together + first time making a framework to governing relations
  • Helsinki Accord

    -main W focus on Berlin + troop reductions, longer term objective of basket 3, committed all signatories to respecting human rights
    -Reagan + Thatcher slammed as "New Yalta"-"USA seal of approval on Sov empire E EU"
  • Helsinki Agreement

    -recognised Soviet control over E Europe
    -trade agreement
    -Russia promised to respect human rights
  • Degree of Success for W govs

    -Nix="Détente not same as lasting peace"
    -criticism that USA rolled over
    -USA allies in EU vulnerable w/ deployment of Sov SS20 med range missiles in E EU 1976
    -W Gers concerned USA drive for arms reduction left them vulnerable to attack
    -deploy of med range USA missiles in W EU 1983 led to anti USA protests in EU
    -Congress criticism from pro-Israeli Jackson-slow in arms would allow USSR advantage
    -Nix main hope for détente=
    -tensions persisted
    -Carter attacked Sov fail of HR
    -détente dead w/ Af
  • SALT 2

    -permanent limitations on nuclear weapons
    -number of missile launchers + MIRVs, rockets warheads futher limited
    -never ratified due to invasion of Afghanistan by USSR
  • Invasion of Afghanistan-Aims + Motives

    -worried abt existence of new regime from islamic forces
    -feared Hafizullah Amin-pro-USA
    -worried abt impact opposition would have on Islamic fundamentalism-spread to other Muslims in USSR
    -feared link in global encirclement of USSR-USA + China friendly relations
    -West viewed as highly threatening development-Carter furious,feared Sovs intended to control Af as step of further expansion to Indian Ocean + Persian Gulf-oil supply
    -USA banned grain exp to USSR + didn't ratify SALT 2,boycott olympic
  • Further response from W govs to Afghanistan

    -USA sent military aid to Mujahedin, Islamic guerilla group fighting Soviet backed regime
    -"long peace" end + world entered "2nd Cold War"
    -Fr + W Ger still hoped for Ostpolitik-condemned actions but didn't join criticising Soviet invasion
  • Western reactions to Afghanistan + role of Carter

    -Carter's anger evident when he wrote to B 28 Dec-"draw back...jeopardise the course of US-Sov relations"
    -US intervention in form of arming the Mujahedin, broadly successful
    -Soviets tied up in unwinnable war for 1980s
    -put Sov economy crumbling under even greater pressure
  • Soviet actions toward Poland

    -Poland main route to West
    -provided 1/3 of combined forces in Warsaw P
    -36m population-largest in satellite
    -red bridge into EU
    -any instability in Pol threatened whole block
    -maj eco crisis-rise cost of oil + eco recession in W=no market for Pol exports
    -strikes in shipyards due to price increases
    -Gov made eco+pol concessions + recognised Solidarity as TU
    -membership 8m + supp by RCC
    -E Ger wanted troops + warned failure to act=death of Poland
    -Dec martial law 1981, 1982 Solidarity outlawed
  • Poland Crisis

    -B urged to crush "anti-socialists"
    -E Ger wanted troops, warned B - "failure to act=death of socialist Poland"
    -Dec Martial law 1981
    -Oct 1982 Solidarity outlawed
    -Kania reassured B that would restore order
    -intervention=world war, Reagan hardline
  • Period: to

    Reagan's Strategic Defence Initiative pt1

    -Reagan uncompromising anti-comm, "evil empire", "roll-back Comm"
    -Reagan Doctrine-assistance where Sov infiltration
    -1987 USA provided $697m aid to Mujahedin
    -military aid to right-wing Contras in Nicaragua to remove left-wing govs
    -USA troops sent to Grenada 1983 to deal w/ Comm groups
    -R-largest peacetime military build-up in USA history-1985 30% of USA federal reserve spent on military-Stealth bomber + Trident missile
    -1989, US military budget 43% higher than peak of Vietnam War
  • Period: to

    Reagan's Strategic Defence Initiative pt2

    -1984 Reagan launched SDI-space based system of lasers to intercept + destroy Sov missiles-protect USA from retaliatory strike, undermining MAD
    -Reagan's rearmament + boom in US economy-demoralising effect on USSR-persuaded them to out-arm + out-perform West-limitations-hopeless
    -without USA's dynamism in 1980s, highly unlikely Sov would have set out on road of reform-no alternative
    -USA deployed Intermediate Range Missiles in W EU to counter USSR's SS20s-much criticism-300,000 in protest in W G
  • Period: to

    Reagan's Strategic Defence Initiative pt3

    -Pres close relationship w/ Thatcher saw deployment of missiles in Br
    -economic pressure on USSR increased-Pres restricted trade to safeguard USA's competitive advantage
    -1981 Sov access restricted to West tech designed to find new oil + gas reserves
    -1982 restricted Sov access to USA gas + oil
    -Reagan took hardline on last year of Carter admin much further-continually attacking moral corruption of Comm regimes + refusal to abide by Basket 3 of Helsinki
  • Change in Soviet thinking with Poland

    -tanks would roll across Polish border
    -Warsaw forces immbolised ear;y dec
    -invasion seemed imminent but intervention cancelled
    -Kania Polish Pres reassured B that Polish Communist regime could restore order
    -Reagan's hard line, B concerned that Sov military intervention could provoke world war
  • Decline of USSR + fall of Brezhnev

    -stagnation-little change and new ideas not welcome
    -declining Sov economy, growth fell from 6% in 1960s to 2% in 1970s
    -USSR produce quality poor
    -unable to produce sophisticated consumer goods or high-tech
    -1970s, for the first time since 1945,economy failing to produce sufficient quantities of raw materials
  • Andropov's regime

    -no moderate, maintained strong grip of E EU countries
    -primarly concerned w/ improving domestic economy
    -re-establishing détente
    -Sep 1983 Sov air force shot down civilian airliner from S Korea
    -terrified Reagan was planning nuclear war, and announced end of all space based weapons programmes
    -died Feb 1984
  • Response of W EU govs to Second Cold War

    -Br-Thatcher, foreign policy based on ideological considerations-Iron Lady- strongly supported Reagan
    -Fr, more relaxed response to Afg + leader met w/ B in May 1980
    -W Ger-Chancellor Schmidt, concerned by Reagan's uncompromising policy-disagreements by W govs on response to martial law in Poland, Schmidt unwilling to agree to Reagan's demands on economic sanctions against USSR-impact W Ger's improved relations + eco links
    -locating Cruise + Pershing II missiles in W Ger controversial
  • Chernenko's regime

    -little to improve relations w/ West
    -boycott of LA Olympics in 1984 in response to 1980 boycott of Moscow
    -arms control talks commenced 1985
    -short tenures changed little
    -Andropov recognised need for change
    -attempts at arms reduction talks but poisonous atmosphere of 2nd Cold War