The term describing easing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during much of the Cold War is what?

• A. Detente
• B. Isolationism
• C. Containment
• D. Brinkmanship

Answer: (A)

Detente describes the easing of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during much of the Cold War. It involved more diplomacy, communication, and arms-control agreements to reduce the risk of confrontation, such as talks that led to limits on nuclear weapons and more stable relations, including prominent summits and treaties in the 1960s and 1970s. This approach stands in contrast to isolationism, which means pulling back from international involvement; containment, which aims to stop the spread of communism; and brinkmanship, which relies on risking war to achieve demands. Detente captures the shift toward diplomacy and negotiated coexistence that characterized much of that period.