The possibility of widespread nuclear destruction was on the minds of world leaders during the 1970s. The first Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty, known as SALT I, had been signed by the U.S. and the Soviet Union in 1972. Initially, the idea was to negotiate limits on anti-ballistic missile systems. But eventually discussions expanded to include offensive capabilities as well.
Negotiations on SALT II took nearly seven years. They spanned three presidential administrations – Nixon’s, Ford’s and Carter’s. In 1979, Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev headed to Vienna, Austria to sign the SALT II agreement. It limited each country’s nuclear forces. Under the terms of the treaty, the Soviets were obliged to remove 279 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles from their arsenal.
Many Republicans and some Democrats were dissatisfied with the verification processes outlined in SALT II. Still, the negotiations leading up to the creation of the treaty did help reduce the danger of nuclear war.
See the Tom Pugh papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more.