4.3 A&B Why was there an arms race? Flashcards
(15 cards)
What triggered the arms race between the usa and ussr
- usa’s use of atomic bombs in 1945
- ussr wanted to catch up, leading to both superpower developing vast stockpiles of nuclear weapons capable of mass destruction
How did the ussr catch up with the usa in nuclear development
- Stalin prioritised developing the atomic bomb
- used espionage to gather intelligence from manhattan project
When did the ussr successful test its first A-bomb
29 August 1949
what was the usa’s reaction to the soviet atomic bomb test
- alarmed by losing its nuclear monopoly
- quickly developed the hydrogen bomb (even more powerful than the atomic bomb)
What is mutually assured destruction
the idea that both sides had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other, so neither could strike first. Key reason why the cold war never turned into actual nuclear war
How did both the USA and ussr continue the arms race during the 1950s and 1960s
- both nations developed more powerful bombs and delivery systems
- by 1960: usa had nuclear weapons ready to launch from air, land and sea, including submarine-launched Polaris missiles
What was brinkmanship and how was it used during the Cold War
Pushing dangerous policies to the edge of conflict to gain an advantage. Cold War leaders used it to intimidate, knowing nuclear weapons made actual war less likely due to MAD
Give an example of brinksmanship from the Cold War
- during Cuban missile crisis, tensions peaked and nuclear war seemed likely
- near-disaster led to improved communication between the usa and USSR to avoid future crises
Why did nuclear weapons have limited military utility, according to us secretary of defense Robert McNamara
Believed weapons had no military use except to deter others. Using them against a nuclear-equipped opponent would be suicidal
How did ordinary people prepare for nuclear war
- governments ran civil defence campaigns
- USA: ‘duck and cover’ drills
- Britain issued home-protection booklets
- secret shelters and survival plans were made, assuming war was inevitable
What was the ‘Ban the Bomb’ movement
- Starting in 1950s, opposed nuclear weapons on moral grounds
- Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in Britain led protests and called for unilateral disarmament to set a global example
How did popular culture reflect nuclear fears during the Cold War
Films like Dr. Strange glove satirised the absurdity of nuclear standoffs, depicting accidental launches and highlighting the dangers and irrationality of nuclear war
When were the first hydrogen bombs tested
- usa: November 1952
- ussr: 1953
What happened on 30 October 1961
- Soviets detonated the largest bomb ever seen
- explosion had 50 tonnes of dynamite
- more powerful than all explosives used in WW2 combined
Why did the defence budgets rise continuously in the usa during the Cold War
probably incorrect fears that Soviets were ahead in arms race and there was a ‘missile gap’
