1. What are the Cold War policies of the 1950s?
1950s: BRINKMANSHIP
What are the Cold War policies of the 1950s?

2. 1949: Soviets develop & test their own atomic weapon
The Arms Race
1949: Soviets develop & test their own atomic weapon
1952: US develops the more powerful Hydrogen Bomb (H-Bomb), which fuses two atoms together
Soviets counter with their own H-bomb in 1953, arms race begins
50’s is era of brinkmanship. Each country will push each other to the “brink” of war to get an advantage
1953: Pres. Eisenhower appoints anti-communist John Foster Dulles as Secretary of State

3. Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)
Dulles develops the MAD policy: if Soviets attack US interests, US will use massive nuclear retaliation
US begins increasing number of nuclear weapons & the planes to deliver these weapons
US CIA & Soviet KGB increase spying programs
1953: Stalin dies, is replaced by Nikita Khrushchev
Khrushchev continues building up Soviet arsenal, announces development of Vostok rocket
This ICBM could deliver a nuke
Soviets clearly ahead in “arms race”

4. The Space Race
Oct 1957: Soviets launch the first unmanned satellite into space
Launch of Sputnik began the “Space Race”
Knowing the Soviets are ahead in science – Eisenhower pushes Congress for NDEA
NDEA puts billions into school science programs
Nov 1957: Soviets send a dog named Laika into space on Sputnik II
1958: US forms NASA, need to win space race
Spy Planes
Eisenhower proposes US & Soviets can fly over each other’s territory (Open Skies Policy)
Soviets refuse, debate US on television
CIA begins sending spy planes called U2s over the Soviet Union
Gary Powers U2 flight is shot down, Soviets hold him prisoner – US is behind in technology!