The End of Détente and the Second Cold War

About the lecture

In this module, we think about the development of the Cold War in the second half of the 1970s and early 1980s, a period in which the period of détente comes to an end and tensions between the US and Soviet Union begin to ratchet up once again. In particular, we think about: (i) whether there was in fact a clear break in hostilities in the 1970s, considering some of the events of the early- to mid-1970s; (ii) Carter’s initial attempts to continue détente, including: his focus on human rights, his campaign promises to reduce defence spending, and his signing of SALT-II; (iii) Carter’s undermining of détente, including: his above-inflation increases in defence spending and the establishment of a rapid reaction force in the Middle East; (iv) the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; (v) the Iranian Revolution; (vi) the Nicaraguan Revolution; and (vii) the Intelligence Oversight Act.

About the lecturer

Dr Tom Tunstall Allcock is a lecturer in American history at the University of Manchester. His research focuses on U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War, with particular interests in U.S.-Latin American relations, presidential history and diplomacy, and the cultural history of the Cold War.