1. “Oh no they didn’t!”
The Arms Race

2. 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.)

3. Military Alliances
The United States and the Soviet Union soon enlisted the support of other countries.

4. 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.

5. 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

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

7. Warsaw Pact (1955) U. S. S. R. Albania Bulgaria Czechoslovakia
East Germany
Hungary
Poland
Romania

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

13. Key Arms Race concepts “Mutually Assured Destruction”
“Massive Retaliation”
“Brinkmanship”

14. “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

15. “Massive Retaliation”
U.S. policy that stated the U.S. would respond to USSR threats to allies with overwhelming force.
Maybe even nukes
Idea is to scare enemies into not being aggressive

16. “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.

17. 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

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

19. 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