Arms Race

What was the arms race?

The arms race was a competition between the USA and the USSR to gain military dominance by developing their nuclear capabilities and weapons.

When was the arms race?

The Soviet Union emerged as a nuclear power in 1949, leading to the arms race with the USA. This lasted until the end of the Cold War in 1990.

What was the importance of the arms race?

The arms race was important for 2 main reasons:

• ❖ It led to the fear of mutually assured destruction as each side had enough weapons to destroy the world many times over.
• ❖ The USA and the USSR had to find ways to solve disputes that did not result in a nuclear war.

What were the most important events of the arms race?

There were 6 main military achievements and events during the arms race:

• ❖ 1945 - the USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bringing the Second World War to an end.
• ❖ 1949 - the USSR tested an atomic bomb.
• ❖ 1952 - the USA developed the hydrogen bomb.
• ❖ 1953 - the USSR tested its own hydrogen bomb.
• ❖ 1957 - both the USA and USSR successfully tested intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
• ❖ 1962 - the Cuban Missile Crisis was the highest point of tension in the arms race.

What role did brinkmanship play in the arms race?

Brinkmanship was important in the arms race because:

• ❖ An enemy could be forced to back down in a moment of crisis by pushing it to the brink of an unwanted war.
• ❖ To make any threats credible, each side needed nuclear weapons.
• ❖ The Cuban Missile Crisis is an example of brinkmanship. The USA and the USSR were very close to a nuclear war until the USSR backed down.

What was the theory of mutually assured destruction, or MAD in the arms race?

Mutually assured destruction, or MAD, was the following theory:

• ❖ It had developed by the 1960s.
• ❖ It stated that if either the USA or USSR used their nuclear weapons, both would be destroyed. Each possessed so many, the resulting damage and destruction would be unimaginable.
• ❖ It was believed war would be prevented because both sides feared it; a nuclear war was, in theory, unwinnable.

What was nuclear utilisation target selection in the arms race?

Nuclear utilisation target selection theory, or NUTs:

• ❖ Developed in the 1980s.
• ❖ Was a theory President Reagan believed in. He thought a limited nuclear war was possible as long as the USA struck the USSR first and wiped out its nuclear weapons.

What were intercontinental ballistic missiles in the arms race?

Intercontinental ballistic missiles, called ICBMs, were nuclear-armed ballistic missiles with a range of more than 3,500 miles.

What were anti-ballistic missiles in the arms race?

Anti-ballistic missiles were missiles that would intercept and destroy other ballistic missiles. The USA and the USSR developed ABMs in the 1960s.

What were multiple independent reentry vehicles in the arms race?

Multiple independent reentry vehicles (MIRVs) were developed in 1968. These missiles carried multiple warheads which could each be independently targeted.