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Detente and its End

The easing of Cold War tension in the 1970s through SALT and the Helsinki Agreements, and how the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 brought detente to an end.

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Detente and its end 🤝

In the 1970s the superpowers eased their rivalry in a period called detente. They signed arms treaties and met to reduce tension. But when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, detente collapsed and a Second Cold War began.

Words for the thaw 🔑

Learn these four terms before you judge detente.

Detente and its collapse 🆚

Detente brought cooperation, but it did not last.

Grade 9 thinking 💡

To reach the top grades, assess how real detente was, and weigh the treaties of the 1970s against the deep mistrust that ended it.

Match the event to what it was 🔗

  • SALT 1
  • the Helsinki Agreements
  • the Apollo-Soyuz mission
  • the invasion of Afghanistan
  • the 1972 treaty limiting nuclear arms
  • the 1975 deal on borders and human rights
  • the 1975 joint space mission
  • the 1979 Soviet action that ended detente

Match the term to its meaning 🧩

  • detente
  • SALT
  • boycott
  • Cold War
  • an easing of tension between rivals
  • talks and treaties to limit nuclear arms
  • a refusal to take part as a protest
  • a rivalry of tension without direct war

What was detente? ❓

What was detente?

  • An easing of tension between the superpowers in the 1970s.
  • A direct war between the USA and the USSR.
  • A formal military alliance between the superpowers.

Signs of detente ✅

Select the TWO signs of detente.

  • The SALT 1 arms treaty.
  • The Helsinki Agreements.
  • The invasion of Afghanistan.
  • The Moscow Olympics boycott.

Order the thaw 🪜

An interactive activity.

Summarise detente 📝

In the 1970s the superpowers followed _____. They signed the _____ 1 arms treaty in 1972 and the _____ Agreements in 1975. But when the USSR invaded _____ in 1979, detente ended and a Second Cold _____ began.

detente SALT Helsinki Afghanistan War Reagan boycott Moscow missiles Berlin

Count the years 🔢

An interactive activity.

Spot the two signs of detente 🖍️

An interactive activity.

Sign of detente or cause of its end? 🧭

An interactive activity.

Assess detente ✍️

An interactive activity.