The Nuclear Arms Race The Cold War Between The United...

Starting in the 1949 with the explosion of an atomic bomb(RDS-1) in Russia and ending with the dissolvement of the Soviet Union, the nuclear arms race was an extremely tense few decades that forever changed the United States in many ways. The Arms Race is exactly what it sounds like; a race to amass more advance weapons. During these four decades, the Nuclear Arms Race affected Americans socially through instilling a variety of emotions ranging from fear, to awe of the power of the nuclear weapons, economically through enlarging governmental role within the economy and mostly importantly, the political impacts were more involvement required by the U.S government in world affairs and as a force against Russia. Background: The Nuclear Arms race was part of the Cold War between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R taking place between 1949 and 1991. The race officially started on August 29, 1949 when the Soviets successfully tested their first atomic bomb which scared the U.S. Previously only the U.S. had access to the technology capable of creating an atomic bomb which was conceived during the Second World War as part of the Manhattan Project. Now with U.S.S.R. gaining nuclear technology, the monopoly the U.S had on it was gone. During World War Two the U.S and U.S.S.R were allies (not enemies) fighting against Germany, Japan and Italy but that s when the similarities ended. They both had very different ideologies once the war ended on which economic system was superior and thisShow MoreRelatedThe Cold War Had A Myriad Of Factors That Contributed To1371 Words   |  6 PagesThe Cold War had a myriad of factors that contributed to the ignition of the war between the United States and the USSR, but the primary con tributing factors, such as the Nuclear Arms Race, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Blockade of Berlin, shows the USSR is to blame for causing the Cold War, even though the United States is responsible because of the policy of containment. The Cold War had many factors that contributed to the start of the war between the United States and the USSR, but theRead MoreThe Cold War And Soviet Union840 Words   |  4 Pagesthe cold war started. Some believe that the cold war was the result of the belligerence of Joseph Stalin and the insecurity it caused in the United States and the West. Others believe the primary responsibility for the cold war derives from the hardline policies of the United States. (Viewpoints Article: the Soviet Union Start the Cold War) I believe The Cold War was triggered by the theory of two superpower countries in a race for dominance in the world of nuclear arms. The nuclear arms race triggeringRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War1636 Words   |  7 Pagesbee n declared the victor of the Cold War. Retired four-star U.S. Army general Colin Powell said, â€Å"The long bitter years of the Cold War are over. America and her allies have won; totally, decisively, and overwhelmingly† (Reed 343). The Cold War started after World War II in 1947 and ended in 1991. The U.S. underwent a political war with the Soviet Union in hopes of advancing more rapidly in certain fields, such as nuclear weapons and space crafts. Avoiding nuclear conflicts and managing the economyRead MoreAmerican Wars Abroad1567 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the Cold War the United States was involved in numerous conflicts overseas. As the Cold War progressed there were occasions where the US extended its participation beyond what was necessary by not acting in a quick and decisive manner. When dealing with crisis or conflict, America must not prolong foreign involvement. The Vietnam War and the Arms Race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union are two instances where Americ a prolonged involvement past what was necessary. Certain aspects of bothRead More COLD War and the Arms Race Essay1686 Words   |  7 PagesCOLD War and the Arms Race When President Truman authorized the use of two nuclear weapons in 1945 against the Japanese in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II, the nature of international security was changed irreversibly. At that time, the United States had what was said to have a monopoly of atomic bombs. Soon thereafter, the Soviet Union began working on atomic weaponry. In 1949, it had already detonated it first atomic bomb and tensions began to heat up between the twoRead MoreThe Arms Race and How it Changed the United States of America1415 Words   |  6 Pageswhat, at the height of the arms race, United States President Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union (Rudolph 1). Unsurprisingly, the Soviet Union was similarly upset at the United States. This anger is what fueled the arms race. During the Cold War, due to fears of nuclear attack, the US and Soviet Union designed and deployed thousands of nuclear warheads, each hoping to deter the other from nuclear launch with threat of co unter attack (O’Neal 1). This massive arms buildup, however, had manyRead MoreThe Strategic Defence Initiative Within The Cold War Essay1147 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War was an ideological war primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union (1945-1991). There were several major flashpoints within the war, such as the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D), the Strategic Defence Initiative (S.D.I), the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, the Berlin Blockade and the defiance of the USSR. This essay will discuss the significance the Strategic Defence Initiative within the Cold War. Contrary to the mainstream idea thatRead MoreThe Cold War Between The United States And The Soviet Union1268 Words   |  6 PagesThe Cold War grew out of post-World War II tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. Although the war did not bring about large scale fighting, there remained a constant threat of a catastrophic nuclear war. During the war, the US sought to strictly limit the spread of communism through containment, an idea formulated by US diplomat George Kennan, which became the basis of Harry Truman’s foreign policy. The containment policy was a response to a series of moves by the Soviet UnionRead MoreCauses Of The Cold War1716 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War, a conflict between the United States and Soviet Union, the two global superpowers at the time. Given the name â€Å"Cold War† only for the fact that neither the Soviet Union nor the United States fought directly with one another, instead the war was waged through allies in the form of proxy wars and through increased use of intensive espionage, a never-ending arms race, immense technological competition and on a political forefront as both sides tried to gain the upper hand. The Cold WarRead MoreThe Manhattan Project Essay example1381 Words   |  6 PagesDuring World War II, the Americans fought a two-front war, with pressure from both Japan and Germany. The United States, aware that Germany was threatening to build an atomic weapon, created a secret project to develop the technology first. Under the codename, the Manhattan Project, leading scientists carried out top secret research on fission and the technology needed to create the first atomic bomb. The immediate impact of the Manhattan Project was the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan, ending