The Arms Race Flashcards

1
Q

What did both the Soviet Union and the USA have ?
What did each side aim to do ?

A

Atomic weaponry
They now poured money into making bigger bombs and news delivery systems
Aim: make a first strike which would prevent the other side firing back meaning a large enough arsenal to wipe out the other entirely

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2
Q

When did the Soviet Union get the Atomic bomb ?

A

1949 after the soviet atomic research program was set up a few years prior
The news of the Soviets first attainment of nuclear power,1949, shocked many western nations and their public

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3
Q

In response to the Soviets attainment of nuclear power, what did Truman do and when ?

A

He ordered for a more powerful weapon to be built- the H bomb and defence spending was massively increased
Mid 1949

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4
Q

How did the Soviet Union react to news of the US building the H bomb ?

A

They Soviet Union increased its nation arms spending and this marks the point in which the arms race truly began

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5
Q

When did the Americans first test the Hydrogen bomb ?

A

1953, although they had been researching the technology since 1949 in retaliation to news of soviet attaining nuclear bombs

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6
Q

When did the Soviets get the H bomb ?

A

1953, they first tested their version of the H bomb just months after the USA
So by 1953 they both had the Hydrogen bomb
They continued to develop more powerful nuclear weapons

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7
Q

When did the USA shows its biggest H bomb ?

A

1 March 1954, the US tested the biggest ever H bomb
It’s explosive power was equivalent to 15 million tones of TNT

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8
Q

What else where the superpower developing ?
Give examples

A

Building bigger and more powerful bombs. A single H bomb could destroy a whole city
American B52 Bombers based in Europe with nuclear capabilities could attack Moscow

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9
Q

Who was leading the arms race by 1953? Gave statistics staring at 1950 and also a brief statement on wether this changed

A

1950: USA spending 14.5Bn Soviet Union spending 15.5bn
1951: USA 33bn and Soviet Union 20bn
1952: USA 48bn and Soviet Union 21.9 Bn
By 1953 the USA was spending almost double the amount of money in the arms race
This did not change

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10
Q

What were some consequences of the Arms race ?

A

Creation of new weapons of mass destruction: H bomb, conventional forces (non nuclear) decreased due to both superpowers expecting the next war to be nuclear

Increased rivalry and tension between superpowers: each side felt threatened and therefore made more alliances and built more weapons

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11
Q

When and what squashed any hopes of the slowing of the development of arms ?

A

When: 1957
What: soviet rocked launched Sputnik, a satellite that could orbit earth in 1 and a half hours

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12
Q

What was the cosequence of Sputnik ?

A

USA see this as a sign of aggression by the Soviets and see it as a military threat which further worsen relations and heightens the arms race even more

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13
Q

What do the US do in the years 1957-59 as a response to Sputnik and soviet aggression ?

A
  • USA increased spending on missiles by 20%
  • The then President Eisenhowever founded NASA
  • US airforce increased numbers of B 52 bombers
  • US navy equips submarines with nuclear weapons
  • US place more missiles in west Germany and other European countries
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