— Ch. 1 · End Of Détente Era —
Cold War (1979–1985).
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, shattering a decade of cooperation between Washington and Moscow. This single act triggered a rapid collapse of détente policies that had defined the 1970s. Prior to this invasion, approximately 70 percent of Soviet grain imports came from the United States, creating deep economic interdependence. The Helsinki Accords signed in 1975 had expanded political ties across the Iron Curtain, while SALT I and II treaties attempted to limit nuclear arsenals.
Western leaders reacted with immediate hostility. President Jimmy Carter announced a U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow 1980 Summer Olympics just months after the invasion. Conservative critics like Barry Goldwater had long warned that trade with the Soviets only strengthened their hegemony, but his views were now vindicated by events. Senator Henry Jackson argued for aggressive confrontation rather than engagement, a stance that gained traction as tensions rose.
In Poland, the Solidarity movement emerged in August 1980 when striking workers at the Gdansk Shipyard formed a non-communist trade union. By late 1981, General Jaruzelski declared martial law to crush the opposition, arresting over 10 million members of Solidarity. The Soviet Union considered direct military intervention but ultimately decided against it due to fears of Western economic sanctions. This crisis demonstrated how fragile cooperation had become even before Reagan took office.
Nuclear Buildup And Deployment
By the end of 1979, the Soviet Union deployed 130 SS-20 missiles capable of launching over 390 warheads toward Western Europe. These intermediate-range ballistic missiles alarmed NATO allies who relied on tactical nuclear superiority to offset conventional Soviet advantages. In response, member states committed to deploying several hundred Pershing II missiles across West Germany starting in 1983.
The Pershing II missile carried a single W-85 variable yield nuclear warhead with yields between five and 80 kilotons. Its increased accuracy meant large-yield warheads were no longer necessary since the system could strike very close to targets using radar and inertial guidance units. Meanwhile, the United States revived the B-1A Lancer bomber program under President Reagan in 1981, redesignating it as the B-1B capable of speeds above Mach 1.2.
Technological developments continued throughout the early 1980s. Airborne Early Warning and Control systems rendered older bombers like the B-52 Stratofortress more vulnerable to ground attacks. The U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative, dubbed Star Wars by critics, aimed to construct space-based anti-ballistic missile defenses. These deployments created an environment where both sides believed they faced imminent threats from the other.