What were the key summits and treaties during détente?

The key summits and treaties during détente included the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), Helsinki Accords, and the Nixon-Brezhnev summits.

The détente period, roughly spanning from 1969 to 1979, was marked by a series of significant summits and treaties aimed at reducing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. One of the most significant was the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). These negotiations between the two superpowers resulted in two agreements: SALT I, signed in 1972, and SALT II, signed in 1979. These treaties aimed to limit the growth of the superpowers' nuclear arsenals, marking a significant step towards arms control during the Cold War.

Another key event was the Helsinki Accords, signed in 1975. This was a major diplomatic agreement between 35 nations, including the US, the USSR, and most of Europe. The Accords were significant because they recognised the borders of Europe as they were at the end of World War II, effectively acknowledging the Soviet Union's sphere of influence in Eastern Europe. The Accords also included provisions on human rights, which were seen as a victory for Western diplomacy.

The Nixon-Brezhnev summits were also a key part of détente. US President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev met several times between 1972 and 1974. These meetings resulted in a number of agreements, including the Basic Principles of Relations between the United States and the USSR, which aimed to establish a framework for peaceful coexistence between the two superpowers.

In addition to these, there were other important summits and treaties during this period, such as the Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin in 1971, which eased tensions over the status of Berlin, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975, which was a symbol of US-Soviet cooperation in space exploration. These events collectively marked a significant thaw in the Cold War, as the US and the USSR sought to manage their rivalry through diplomacy and negotiation rather than confrontation.