Détente refers to the period of improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union from the late 1960s to the late 1970s.

The period was characterized by a general easing of geopolitical tensions.

The motivations for Détente included the immense cost of the arms race and the fear of nuclear war, particularly after the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Key leaders of this era were U.S. President Richard Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

A major diplomatic achievement was Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972, which increased pressure on the Soviet Union to negotiate.

Détente led to several significant arms control agreements.

The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) produced treaties that limited the number of nuclear weapons held by both superpowers.

The Helsinki Accords of 1975 were another key agreement, recognizing post-war European borders and including human rights provisions.

The spirit of Détente was shattered by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.

The invasion led to a new period of hostility and a renewed arms race in the 1980s.