<p> Economic and political reasons for détente</p><p>4 main reasons for detente 1. Fear of war 2. Needs of the USSR - economic - military - domestic pressures 3. Needs of the US - economic - military - domestic pressures 4. Tensions in Europe </p><p>Fear of War  In the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the fear of nuclear war saw an easing of tensions – they never wanted to go back to that same situation. Brink of nuclear war  Khrushchev + Kennedy  willingness to resolve issues </p><p> Historian Dobbs: “the United States and the Soviet Union would never again become involved in a direct military confrontation of the scale and intensity of the Cuban Missile Crisis”  However paradoxically to the easing of tensions  MAD</p><p> Mutually Assured Destruction</p><p> MAD was good because it prevented a direct military confrontation from occurring, thus, laying the seeds for détente</p><p>Needs of the USSR Economic + Domestic  The 5 Year Plans of 1966-70 failed to reach their objectives, resulting in Russian farmers producing only 1/6 of the grain as that of their US counterparts  Additionally, the Soviets had not completely consolidated their power base in Eastern Europe, evidenced through the Prague Spring [Czechoslovakia Crisis]  As a result of this, under Brezhnev, 25% of economy directed towards military  However, he failed to adequately deal with the domestic needs of the USSR. This can be seen through dissent emerging. Anti-Soviet literature being published  Essentially, the USSR turned to détente to focus on domestic issues</p><p>Military  By 1969, the USSR had approached military parity with the once supreme US arsenal  However, their consolidation of power in Eastern Europe was incomplete [as seen through Prague Spring]   exponential increase, 25% of economy  military spending of the USSR to consolidate their position in the Eastern satellite states</p><p>Needs of the US Economic + Domestic + Military  1960s - the US economy was no longer the dominant economic power in the world, as the Soviets had caught up in both nuclear and conventional forces.  1961, the US’ involvement in the geopolitical hotspot of Vietnam saw an immense draining of US military and economic resources  rampant inflation and massive budget deficits which impacted largely on the domestic arena.  Domestic pressures stemming from the American public’s decreased support for foreign intervention in Vietnam resulted in discontent and tension in the domestic sphere, triggering the US’ need to pursue détente. US government saw détente as an opportunity to focus on the issues which plagued the domestic arena  Riots in Detroit and Los Angeles in 1964-1968 had claimed several lives  Major assassinations of JFK in 1963 and Robert Kennedy in 1968 highlighted the poor domestic conditions at home  These domestic issues exemplified the West’s need to adopt détente as it would allow the government to focus on the issues which plagued the domestic sphere</p><p>Tensions in Europe o The needs of Europe also played a significant role in the development of détente o 1968 was a period of instability and tension in Europe, evidenced through the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia o Democratic protests in Berlin were prevalent at this time, and peaceful student protests in France toppled the government of De Gaulle o Ongoing tensions between the East and West of Berlin still existed, and this signalled a need for nations in Europe to focus on strengthening diplomatic relations, as evident through Willy Brandt’s policy of Ostpolitik  stabilising European relations o In 1970, W. Germany signed a non-aggressive pact with the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union guaranteed Germany access to West Berlin. This was a dramatic break in tensions between the West and the USSR and further contributed to the development of détente. o Thus, the development of détente was brought about by the tensions which existed in Europe, as well as Brandt’s ostpolitik</p>