cold-war-modern: Lesson 4

The policy of détente characterized the easing of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the 1970s. This approach was marked by several key agreements, including the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which aimed to curtail the arms race between the two superpowers. Détente also facilitated greater diplomatic engagement, exemplified by President Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972 and his meetings with Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev. While détente helped reduce direct confrontations, it did not eliminate ideological differences, and by the late 1970s, tensions began to rise again, leading to the re-escalation of the Cold War.