The Helsinki Accords and SALT II
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why there was not a sustained improvement in US-Soviet relations after the Helsinki Accords.
Key learning points
- The Helsinki Accords were an attempt to reach agreement on security, international cooperation and human rights.
- The Helsinki Accords are sometimes considered to be the high-point of Détente.
- Disagreements about human rights were one source of tension between the USA and the USSR after Helsinki.
- By the end of the 1970s, hopes for improved relations between the USA and the USSR had faded.
- The USA and USSR signed SALT II but after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan it was not ratified in the USA.
Keywords
Détente - the relaxation of tensions between states which were previously hostile towards one another
Accords - formal agreements between two or more parties
Human rights - the basic freedoms and protections that all people are entitled to, simply because they are human
Ratified - when a decision, treaty, or agreement is formally approved and confirmed making it official
Common misconception
Détente ended suddenly following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan is normally considered to mark the end of Détente but US-Soviet tensions had been increasing since 1975 due to conflict over human rights issues and increased Soviet support for communist groups around the world.
Teacher tip
Students should practise sequencing the key events of the 1970s and identifying the connections between them in order to develop their skills at writing analytical narratives.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes the relaxation of tensions between states which were previously hostile towards one another?
Q2.Which word describes issues that exist within a country, rather than those related to its relationship with other countries?
Q3.How much was the US spending on its military and space programme in 1968?
Q4.Why did Nixon want to improve US relations with China and the USSR?
Q5.Which two leaders were involved in the period of relaxed tensions between the USSR and the USA in the 1970s?
Q6.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes formal agreements between two or more parties?
Q2.Which word describes the basic freedoms and protections that all people are entitled to, simply because they are human?
Q3.Who replaced Nixon as US president by the time the agreements at Helsinki had been reached?
Q4.Match the 'basket' to the issue discussed.
European borders
international cooperation
human rights
Q5.What was the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project?
Q6.Which 'basket' continued to be a point of tension between the US and USSR post the signing of the agreements in Helsinki?
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The Helsinki Accords and SALT II, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The Helsinki Accords and SALT II, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Period study: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91 unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.