In diplomacy, politics, or international relations studies, détente is a concept used in relation to the Cold War easing of tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States, with their subsequent blocs. The Cold War (1945–1991) was marked by several periods of high tension, separated by several periods of relaxation (détente) and a greater sense of national security, but there is no universally accepted periodization or definition of Cold War détente. This entry examines the periods of détente and the leaders, events, and agreements that played a role in orchestrating the times of peace between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Unsuccessful attempts of U.S.-Soviet détente were made as early as 1955, 1959, and 1961, during the Geneva summit, a ...