Strategic Arms Limitation Talks

Carter Brezhnev sign SALT II

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) refers to two rounds of bilateral conferences and corresponding international treaties involving the United States and the Soviet Union—the Cold War superpowers—on the issue of armament control. The two rounds are commonly known as SALT I and SALT II.

SALT I

SALT I, the first series of negotiations, began in November 1969 and led to the signing of two agreements in May 1972. The first was the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, which limited the number of ABM systems to two per country. This treaty was significant in the context of deterrence theory, as it aimed to prevent either country from developing a defense system that could nullify the other's nuclear deterrent. The second agreement was the Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, a stop-gap measure that froze the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) each country could possess.

SALT II

Negotiations for SALT II began in 1972, shortly after the signing of the SALT I agreements. The talks aimed to extend and deepen the controls introduced by SALT I. In June 1979, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the SALT II treaty, which sought to limit the number of strategic nuclear delivery vehicles and various categories of strategic weapons. However, the United States Senate never ratified the treaty, largely due to concerns over Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. Despite this, both nations agreed to abide by the treaty's provisions until 1986, when the United States withdrew from the agreement, citing Soviet violations.

Impact and Legacy

The SALT negotiations marked a significant step in the process of arms control during the Cold War, reflecting a mutual recognition of the dangers posed by the nuclear arms race. They established a framework for future arms control agreements, such as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and the New START, which further sought to reduce and limit strategic weapons.

The talks also highlighted the complexities of diplomacy and international relations in the nuclear age, demonstrating how bilateral negotiations could lead to significant reductions in the likelihood of nuclear conflict. Moreover, SALT played a crucial role in establishing a dialogue between the United States and the Soviet Union that transcended immediate strategic concerns, contributing to a gradual thaw in Cold War tensions.

See Also

• Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
• Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty