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.
Monday, May 23, 2011
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 19th, 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 6th, 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 8th, 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 23rd, 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.
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