Assessing the dynamic reaction of the USSR to American and Chinese actions and to its nuclear gap with the USA

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Abstract
This paper compares two conceptual frameworks in an attempt to explain Soviet con‐flictual and cooperative behavior toward the USA between 1964 and 1973. Each conceptual framework was formed by integrating three different theoretical propositions. The first framework assumes that the relationship between the USSR and the USA is largely dyadic, while the second framework also accounts for the behavior of the PRC toward the USSR. The independent variables for the first framework are: 1) changes in differences of nuclear capabilities between the USA and the USSR; 2) conflict sent by the USA to the USSR and; 3) Soviet perceptions toward “Detente” and “Cold War.” For the second framework we kept the first and third independent variables and included Chinese behavior toward the USSR. Our conclusions support the contention that the USSR was predominantly conflictual toward the USA until they narrowed the nuclear gap. However, it strongly questions the argument that the USSR was influenced in its behavior toward the USA by the PRC in an attempt to overcome threats from the latter. On the contrary, our most interesting finding is that as the amount of conflict sent by the Chinese toward the Soviets increases, so does the amount of conflict sent by the USSR toward the USA.

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