On This Day: Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) Begin

"During the late 1960s, the United States learned that the Soviet Union had embarked upon a massive Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) buildup designed to reach parity with the United States" (U.S. Department of State). This, along with the Soviet Union's development of a limited Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) defense system around Moscow prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to call for strategic arms limitations talks (SALT). Ultimately, SALT talks were agreed on by the two superpowers in the summer of 1968, and full-scale negotiations began during the Presidency of Richard Nixon on November 17th, 1969. This resource explores the context of arms control efforts before the Nixon presidency, describes the Nixon administration's views and efforts relative to the SALT talks and subsequent SALT I agreement, and provides reflections for later arms control agreements.