“Oh no they didn’t!”

The Arms Race

Background and review

• At the time of the Berlin conflict USSR was expanding its territory into Europe.

• U.S. viewed this as “conquering”• USSR viewed as “protection;” a buffer zone

from the West (remember they were attacked twice by Ger.)

Military Alliances

• The United States and the Soviet Union soon enlisted the support of other countries.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949)

United States Belgium Britain Canada Denmark France Iceland Italy

Luxemburg Netherlands Norway Portugal 1952: Greece &

Turkey 1955: West

Germany 1983: Spain

The NATO Alliance

• NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was a group of Western European nations that pledged to support each other if attacked.

Warsaw Pact (1955)

} U. S. S. R.} Albania} Bulgaria} Czechoslovak

ia

} East Germany

} Hungary} Poland} Rumania

The Warsaw Pact

• Warsaw Pact: Defensive alliance formed by the Soviet union and seven of its satellites in Eastern Europe.

In response to USSR’s satellite countries

• U.S. and NATO builds military bases surrounding USSR

• Threatened USSR builds bases as well.

• U.S. and USSR begin “arms race” that will continue until the 1980’s

Cold War Expands

Things get a bit warmer• Sept 2, 1949 a U.S. B-29

detects atmospheric radiation.

• Proves USSR has an atomic bomb way ahead of schedule

Arms Race

• In the background of this growing animosity both superpowers raced to develop weapons.

• Soviets acquired nuclear weapons in 1949• For 40 years the superpowers spent increasing amounts of

money on acquiring superior weapons. • Many feared a war would destroy the world. Soon the symptom of the Cold War (nukes) becomes

the major problem

Key Arms Race concepts

• “Mutually Assured Destruction”

• “Massive Retaliation”• “Brinkmanship”

“Mutually Assured Destruction”•The belief that the use of nuclear weapons by opposing militaries will in effect, destroy both sides•Nukes are a deterrent to war

“Massive Retaliation”

• U.S. policy that stated the U.S. would respond to commy threats to allies with overwhelming force.

• Maybe even nukes Idea is to scare enemies

into not being aggressive

“Brinkmanship”

• Concept of pushing events to the verge of disaster in order to gain an advantage

In theory this will force your enemy to back down for fear of destruction.

Impact of these policies

• U.S. invests in nukes and things to deliver them (subs, plans and silos)

• Nuclear testing sky rockets between US an USSR

• Other countries want nukes

• World becomes armed to the teeth

Space Race•The superpowers also competed in space. •In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. This launched the superpowers into a competition for space!

Why space???•Nukes must go into orbit to hit a target.

•Thus, if you can put a satellite into space you can put a nuke anywhere on the globe

•This is SPUTNIK