July 1st, 1968 - Johnson Announces Weapons Limitations Treaty with USSR

*This is a student project created for a United States History class. The posts in this blog are of historical nature about a specific event in U.S. History. This blog deals with Detente and SALT. This is not meant to be expert scholarship and there may be errors. This is a first attempt at learning something in more depth. There has been a genuine effort to properly cite all pictures, quotes, information gathered in this research project. For a list of sources see the final blog."

            President Johnson announced the planned signing of the Non-Proliferation Treaty with the Soviet Union. The treaty was to mark the beginning of discussion on the removal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in both the United States and the Soviet Union. The dates of the discussions had yet to be said by Johnson, the rest of the government or in the Soviet Union and the matter of these discussions had yet to be said also, and further news on this subject would be updated at a later date.

January 20th, 1969 - Nixon Takes Oath of Office

            Republican Richard Nixon became the 37^th President of the United States of America after defeating Democrat Hubert Humphrey in the Presidential race back in November of 1968. During his inauguration speech, Nixon spoke of ushering in a new era of peace, prosperity, and negotiation as quoting Nixon himself from that speech “We cannot expect to make everyone our friend, but we can try to make no one our enemy.” It was expected that Nixon would continue the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks seen in 1968 with the Soviet Union along with Johnson’s tactics of Detente, however further plans for conducting peace remained unknown at the time.

February 27th, 1969 - Nixon Travels to Berlin During Trip in Europe

            Only one month into his presidency, Richard Nixon had all ready began travels in Europe to help strengthen the Trans-Atlantic power of NATO. Nixon headed to Berlin in February, in order to show its citizens that they are not the only ones going through a feeling of loneliness especially after the construction of the Berlin Wall. Nixon was met with much acclaim throughout the day as he stopped at numerous areas in order to shake hands with parade watchers (As seen in the picture above). The trip was overall a success to Nixon, whom was worried of being overcastted by the shadow Kennedy left years before.

November 17th, 1969 - White House Announces Strategic Arms Limitation Talks

Going off of what was said earlier in October 1969, the White House, along with the Soviet Union, confirmed plans to begin the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (or SALT). The White House chose the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Gerald Smith, to lead the US delegations during the talks and President Nixon also stated that the first conference was to be held outside of the US in Europe. However when the first conference would take place had yet to be mentioned by either the US or the USSR. This was an important step in the fight to sustain world peace after the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1969, putting all peace negotiations on hold, The announcement of SALT was seen as a possibility of finally achieving peace with the USSR.

April 17th, 1971 - American Ping-Pong Team Begins Ping-Pong Diplomacy in China

Following an interesting chain of events, the American ping-pong team was invited to China in April 1971 after the 31^st Japanese Ping-Pong Tournament. The allowing of nine team members along with five American journalists marked an important occasion as the first Americans allowed into China after its Communist takeover in 1949. Primer Chou En-lai worked out the public relations between the two countries beautifully stating confidently, “You have opened a new chapter in the relations of the American and Chinese people.” This event marked a healthy start to President Nixon’s détente plan through a “ping heard around the world”. 

February 24th, 1972 - Nixon Has Private Meeting with China’s Mao Zedong

            President Nixon along with Secretary of State Kissinger met with Mao Zedong in November 1972 in China in order to draw up the Memorandum of Conversation. The documents associated to the Memorandum deal mostly with relations throughout Asia. Nixon stated in the documents that America would count Taiwan as a part of China and will not support any independence. The documents also outlined a settlement on the Indo-Chinese War of 1962 along with discussions on the current Vietnam War. Nixon also discussed with Zedong on both countries policies with the Soviet Union. Overall, the meetings in China managed to further improve relationships between it and the United States.

May 22nd, 1972 - First Détente Summit Begins

            President Nixon managed to make at the first Détente summit in Moscow a success along with the help of Soviet Prime Minister Brezhnev. Brezhnev, despite a rather tense talk on the recent bombings in North Vietnam, stated that he wished to keep a healthy and peaceful relationship with President Nixon. Along with the peace made between the two leaders, the two countries made progress in signing the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty along with further talks regarding SALT treaties. The Summit was an overall success and lead to multiple more between the two superpowers.

October 3rd, 1972 - Interim Agreement Enforced into Action

Earlier in 1972 during the détente summit in Moscow, the United States and USSR drew up the guidelines to the Interim Agreement, a document that was to be used in order to assist in the negotiations of limiting the number of anti-ballistic missiles in both countries. The document had fairly standard agreements on the limitations such as not converting land bases into newer models that were made prior to 1964 and both sides will not create any further land bases after this year. However, Article VII played an interesting part stating that both sides would discuss further limitations at a later date. This raised questions as to if President Nixon had any plans of reviving the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks which ended in May of that year, or if the article was addressing another event entirely. Only time will tell for now. 

November 26th, 1972 SALT Begins

            In response to the passing of the Interim Agreement, President Nixon announced that plans for the Strategic Arms Limitation Talk that was to go under way in November 1972. The goal of SALT would be to replace the Interim Agreement with a more long-term treaty for the decrease in the number of anti-ballistic missiles in the United States and USSR. The first discussion was scheduled to take place later that month, discussing the types of weapons that would be banned or reduced along with taking into account the different weapons used by each side.

June 19th, 1973 - Second Détente Conference Recap

On June 19^th, 1973, President Nixon invited Prime Minister Brezhnev to a second Détente conference in Washington DC. Even more progress was made during these meetings including further discussion in SALT treaties along with discussion of European Security and the emigration of Jews to the USSR. President Nixon also presented Brezhnev with peace offerings such as a new Lincoln Continental and a stay at Camp David instead of the traditional Blair House. The discussions of that month were so successful in fact that Brezhnev once again invited President Nixon to Moscow for another Summit, which would take place the following year.

October 6th, 1973 - Crisis in Israel

            Disaster struck Israel in October 6^th, 1973 as Syria and Egypt launched a joint attack on the nation during Yom Kippur, its holiest of days. Further tensions rose as the United States sided with Israel where as the Soviet Union toke a side with Syria and Egypt through supplying them with weapons daily. Despite the difficult relations at the time, Brezhnev stated that he wished to keep at peace between the United States and Israel. Nixon responded to Brezhnev stating, “If he was willing to get behind a serious peace effort, I would not consider that the Soviet airlift affected our personal relationship or deflected the course of détente.” The problems faced that month would be addressed during the next Détente summit.

July 1st, 1974 - Détente Summit III Recap

            In the beginning of 1974, President Nixon arrived in the USSR for his third Détente summit meeting with Prime Minister Brezhnev. The president was met, with acclaim as he entered Moscow. A major change from the first summit two years ago, and even in his own home country where he was currently facing an investigation on the burglaries at Watergate. The goal of this summit was once again to discuss, if not come to an agreement, on both countries decrease in a number of MIRVs (multiple independently targetable reentry missiles). Much like with Brezhnev at the second summit, President Nixon was privileged to stay in the Prime Minister’s dacha in Oreanda and was treated to multiple dinner parties. Even with the success of another summit, President Nixon and Brezhnev had no plans for a forth détente summit.

August 9th, 1974 - Nixon Resigns from Office

            After a long and difficult battle on political scandal, Richard Nixon announced on August 8^th, 1974, that he would be resigning from office on behalf of being found guilty of taking part in the Watergate scandal. The former president stated, “By taking these actions, I hope that I will have hastened the start of the process of healing which is so desperately need in America.” Nixon also announced that his Vice President, Gerald Ford, would take control of the American government after his departure later that day, leaving his political endeavors with him. 

November 23rd, 1974 - SALT Agreements Drawn Up, Possible Finalization

            On November 23^rd, 1974, during the SALT discussions in Vladivostok, USSR, President Ford managed to make a major breakthrough in drawing up agreements of SALT along with Brezhnev. The new agreement outlined that each side would have an equal 1,320 limit on MIRV systems, a ban on construction of new ICBM missiles, limits the deployment of new strategic arms, and that articles of the Interim Agreement would be incorporated into the new agreement. With this move, the SALT discussions once again came closer to reaching their ultimate goal.

January 20th, 1977 - Jimmy Carter Becomes America’s 39th President

            After winning the 1976 election against former President Gerald Ford, Democrat Jimmy Carter was inaugurated in January 1977 as America’s 39^th President. During his inaugural address, Carter mentioned how he wished to continue discussions of limiting armaments with the Soviet Union, stating, “We pledge perseverance and wisdom in our efforts to limit the world’s armaments to those necessary for each nations own domestic safety.” This was a smart move on Carter’s part regarding the failure to disagree during the SALT conference in Geneva in 1975. With Carter in office, the SALT conferences managed to make a return after a short hiatus.

June 19th, 1979 - Carter and Brezhnev Draw Up New SALT II Treaty

After the agreements set in November 1974 and the disagreements mage in Geneva early 1975, the United States and USSR finally settled on an agreement over the anti-ballistic missile limitations, which were reopened for discussion in 1972. With this new agreement, a new treaty was to be set up by 1985, which relates to the Vladivostok accords, a protocol of a three year duration discussing the status of each countries weapon supply would be put into affect, and a joint agreement to pursue future discussions on the topic was also discussed. Carter stated that the new agreements would be sent for approval by congress within the next few days.

January 3rd, 1980 - President Carter Delays Consideration of SALT II Treaty

            In response to the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan in Christmas of 1979, President Carter has made the decision to delay the consideration and approval of the SALT II treaty drawn up in June 1979. Despite the delay of approval, President Carter stated that the agreements made in the treaty would remain unaltered and both sides had to refrain from taking any other actions in the mean time that would possibly go against the treaty. This would not stand as in 1984 and 1985; President Reagan stated he had plans of canceling the SALT II treaty after an apparent break in the deal by the Soviet Union.

May 26th, 1986 - United States Officially Backs Out of SALT II Agreement

After the announcement of the USSR disregarding settlements made in the SALT II Treaty in 1984 and 1985, President Reagan officially backed out of the treaty after years of delay and disagreements on the pact on May 26^th, 1986. President Reagan went on record stating, “Given this situation… in the future, the United States must base decisions regarding the strategic forces structure on the structure and magnitude of the threat posed by Soviet strategic forces and not on standards contained in the SALT structure.” President Reagan also stated that he did not intend on increasing the number of strategic offensive weapons in the United States. The SALT II Treaty would have provided an equal and limited number of anti-ballistic missiles on each side and would have banned the use of ICBM missiles. Despite the cancellation of the treaty, the United States and Soviet Union managed to make enough pacts of peace in the years prior to avoid the need for offensive weapons in the future.

Worked Cited

Byron, Jimmy. "Nixon and Brezhnev- Partners in Détente | Foreign Policy." The Richard Nixon Foundation. Foreign Policy, 8 JUL 2010. Web. 22 May 2011. http://foreign.nixonfoundation.org/2010/07/08/nixon-and-brezhnev-personal-partners-in-detente/

"Strategic Arms Limitation Talks II (SALT II) | Arms Control Association." Arms Control Association. Department of State, 25 MAR 2011. Web. 22 May 2011. <http://www.armscontrol.org/documents/salt2>.

"American Experience . Nixon's China Game." PBS. PBS Online, n.d. Web. 22 May 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/china/peopleevents/pande07.html>.

Nixon, Richard. "First Inaugural Address." Washington DC. January 20th, 1969. Speech.

Carter, Jimmy. "Carter's Inaugural Address." Washington DC. January 20th, 1977. Speech.

United States/Soviet Union. Interim Agreement. Moscow: , 1972. Web. 22 May 2011. <http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/salt1/text/salt1.htm>.

"Watergate Chronology 1974." watergate.info. watergate.info, 2009. Web. 22 May 2011. <http://watergate.info/chronology/1974.shtml>.

Burr, William. "Nixon's Trip to China." The National Security Online. N.p., 11 DEC 2003. Web. 22 May 2011. <http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB106/index.htm>.


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