Arms Reduction Dbq

The United States and the Soviets were already engaged in the cold war when talks of Arms reduction started happening. The Arms reductions did not stop the cold war but it did help to cool it down a little. It reduced the risk of going to nuclear war a little bit and that was important. The reasons the Soviets were willing to engage in negotiations on arms reduction was because it was facing pressure from china, it would facilitate progress in Germany and Berlin, and most importantly they would be equal to the united states.

One reason was that they would be able to focus on Germany and Berlin, mostly on facilitating progress. Mostly the Soviets wanted to improve trade with West Germany but for this to happen there needed to be changes in domestic politics. With change in domestic politics there would be a change in foreign policy. Technology was also important especially in the soviet block for Poland. Western capitalist technology allowed Poland to modernize its plants and expand their

consumer industries. It ended up becoming the third fastest growing economy in all of the world. This was only possible because of the Detente or arms reduction that was in place, it allowed for this change in foreign policy to take place.
However that was not the only reason they also liked how it would make them look.

Their status would be equal to the United States which was something the Soviets greatly wanted. They did not like being looked as being inferior to other nations and most of all to the United States. The humiliation that they suffered from Cuba under Khrushchev's rule was what propelled them to become a military-industrial complex. As Eisenhower had said “it was a military-industrial complex'”(One World Divisible, Pg 325). At first the United states had three times the number of launchers compared to the soviet union but only five years later and it had decreased to only 50 percent. This was due to the fact that the soviets had invested a quarter of its GNP and some of its work force. Therefore when the arms reduction was offered they accepted because it would put them at same level as other nations. They would especially have the same status as the united states and be known as the two

superpowers.
China was a really big threat to the soviet union because they both shared one of the longest land borders. When the Chinese launched a nuclear war head into the Xinjiang border for a nuclear test and then one year later completed their hydrogen bomb, that really put them on edge about the Chinese. The soviets were worried about security as well “China's population(three times that of the USSR) continue to soar”(One World Divisible, Pg 324). They saw China's growing population as a threat and were afraid they might invade. The Chinese even sent disgraced red guards to colonize frontier regions. As well as increased their troop strength along the borders “Forty seven divisions in 1969 to seventy by 1973”(One World Divisible, Pg 327). This was very troublesome for the Soviets and even more alarming was the “Third Front” which was the massive development of industry in border and mountain regions. For example factories were moved from coasts inland, the goal was to construct a whole inland base that would be able to survive a war and not just any war a very long war. This was stating to the Soviets that China was getting ready to go to war, so when the United States started the arms reduction talks they were all for it. Mainly because it would reduce the threat of china.
Three main reasons for the willingness of the soviets to negotiate arms reduction were facilitate progress in Germany and Berlin, equal status to the United States, and mounting pressure from China. The soviets saw that there were advantages to agreeing to the arms reduction and therefore they agreed. It would help them with China and allow for progress of Germany and Berlin. As well as make them equal in the amount of nuclear weapons they could have with other nations including the United States.