what was salt I and II
Salt I and Salt II are arms control agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union (now Russia) that aimed to limit and reduce the number of strategic nuclear weapons in both countries.
Salt I was signed in 1972 by U.S. President Richard Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev. It included two treaties: the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty) and the Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The ABM Treaty limited the deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems and aimed to prevent a nuclear arms race by limiting defensive capabilities. The Interim Agreement limited the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers and submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) submarines that each side could possess.
Salt II was an arms control treaty negotiated between 1972 and 1979 but was never ratified by the U.S. Senate. It further aimed to reduce and limit strategic nuclear weapons. The treaty set specific limits on the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers that each nation could have. It also established a rigorous verification process to ensure compliance.
The main difference between Salt I and Salt II is that Salt I was ratified and implemented, while Salt II failed to be ratified due to various factors, including the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. However, both treaties played a significant role in reducing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and contributed to the reduction of nuclear arms proliferation.