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MIDDLE EAST - Coggle Diagram
MIDDLE EAST
AFGHANISTAN
USSR ACTIONS
1978 Communist coup overthrew Afghan govt but introduced unpopular land reforms - USSR invaded in Dec 1979 to support the government, 'prevent the regime from falling into chaos'
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US RESPONSE
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Carter banned sale of grain, tech and arms to USSR
Increased defence budget for 1981, $1.2bn for the next 5 years
Tried to persuade NATO to suspend détente - it deplored USSR actions but continued expanding its trade links with Europe
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YOM KIPPUR
CAUSES
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Egypt and Syria back by USSR, Israel by US
SIGNIFICANCE
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Kissinger and Soviet diplomats tension over besieged Egyptians - USSR threatened to act unilaterally to free them
CONCLUSIONS
USSR's invasion of Afghanistan was the final blow in the destruction of détente - although both sides had been carefully toeing the line of proxies and diplomacy for the majority of the 70s, the overt use of force removed the possibility for proxies and opened up the possibility for the reigniting of the arms race that US knew it would win
although neither side wanted to go to war, the precarious state of peace had left both sides wanting to push themselves above the other, especially Reagan