The Helsinki Accords, 1975 (Edexcel GCSE History)

The Helsinki Accords in 1975 built upon the progress made in SALT 1 in 1972. The Helsinki Accords showed an attempt at collaboration. NATO and the Warsaw Pact had been two rival military alliances. Helsinki marked a significant moment in US-Soviet relations. Since the development of NATO in 1949 and the Warsaw Pact in 1955, there existed no cooperation between these organisations. The Helsinki Accords showed that NATO and the Warsaw Pact could work together to reduce Cold War tension. The treaty symbolised the attitude of détente.

The Helsinki Accords were not without limitations. Certain aspects of the agreement frustrated both the USA and the Soviet Union. Many US politicians were unhappy with the acceptance of the Soviet Union's domination of the satellite states of Eastern Europe. The Soviet Union did not want the USA dictating how it should run its country. Historians note that, despite these concerns, the Helsinki Accords were a genuine attempt by both countries to reduce Cold War tensions.

The Helsinki Accords, August 1975

Strengths

Weaknesses

Both countries embraced some aspects of Basket Two. In the same year, the USA and the Soviet Union launched a joint space mission. This mission was named the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and was a success

US politicians were unhappy with aspects of Baskets One and Two. The politicians did not want to accept the Soviet Union's borders, especially in Eastern Europe. The US government did not want to provide too much economic help to the Soviet Union. The politicians feared that the Soviet Union would become too powerful

Historians consider the Helsinki Accords the biggest achievement of détente. It showed the USA and the Soviet Union could work together. The Accords signified hope for better US-Soviet relations in the future

The Soviet Union was unhappy with Basket Three. Soviet politicians did not want to respect their people's human rights the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union believed that it allowed too much US influence into their country. The Soviets feared that the USA would monitor Soviet policy and force the implementation of human rights