The Washington Summit meeting occurred during a period within the Cold War era known as Détente, which took place between 1967 and 1979. This shift in the historical conflict marked an easing of tensions between the United States of America and the Soviet Union, through which various Summits, including The Washington Summit, were an attempt to strengthen diplomatic relations and limit the possibility of nuclear war. The Washington Summit was preceded by the Geneva Summit (1955) and SALT I (1972) which both raised the international issues of disarmament, international relations and economic ties. These worldwide concerns established the landscape for further discussion in the 1973 Summit occurring in Washington, which were a direct attempt to prevent further hot spots within the ongoing conflict.