To what extent was detente a successful method of conducting Cold War conflict?

Europe Detente
1. Brandt established links between East and West as a method of reducing barriers.
  1. Result included several treaties that recognised realities of the situation
    1. Poland and Soviet Union accepted Oder-Niesse line as a Polish-German border.
    2. Also recognised border between East and West Germany
    3. Basic Treaty 1972 accepted existence of East Germany
      1. This helped to increase trade links between two countries
    4. USA, France, Britain gained legal basis for access routes to West Berlin
  2. It was not an abandonment of reunification
2. Ospolotik abandoned, Hallstein Doctrine
  1. Designed to snub Germany by refusing to recognise its existence as an imperial state
3. Ostopolitik
  1. Reduced tension in Europe - Contributing to Detente
  2. Had to accept Soviet control over Eastern Europe
    1. This gave legal recognition to Soviet Union
      1. Reinforced division of Cold War Europe
An Assessment od Detente
1. Achievement of detente meant superpower relations were stabilised and risks minimalised
2. Armanents increased in this period, signed agreements were ignored
  1. E.G SALT 2 and Helsinki
3. Detente did not reduce tensions in all areas of international relations
  1. USSR + China tension remained high
  2. Third world conflicts, Afghanistan showed USSR extended its influence during detente
    1. This situation produced suspicion and mistrust and let to the brekdown of detente in december 1979.
4. Collapse of Detente showed its fragility
Interpretations of Detente
1. Left and central spectrum American historians viewed detente as a positive step that had a stabilising effect on relations
  1. This was the standard view during 1970s being optimistic that detente would limit the arms race
    1. Kissinger and Nixon the architects of detente give a positive view on their own attempts
2. Post historians think that detente was beneficial for both sides
  1. E.g Alexander George in 'Force and statecraft 1983' suggested detente created a less dangerous and more useful international relationship.
3. Right wing Americans were delusional towards it
  1. This more critical approach dominates historical thinking
    1. Detente was seen as a sign of weakness and being 'soft' on communism allowed the soviets to catch up in arms development and continue the war
  2. Right wing views on detente however tend to neglect the advantages detente held for the USA during a period when self-confidence was under threat
4. Collapse of soviet union in 1980s was viewed as a result of the pressure in matching the USA in the arms race
  1. Therefore detente was seen as prolonging the war rather than realistic steps towards bringing it to an end

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To what extent was detente a successful method of conducting Cold War conflict?

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