The Arms Race, MAD, and the
Space Race
IB History of the Americas
Frayer Model: Bell Ringer
Mutually Assured
Destruction (MAD)
Mutually Assured Destruction
RETALIATION
1ST STRIKE
United
States
Soviet
Union
Destructive Capabilities
• 1979 estimates by the US Office of
Technology Assessment
– One small nuclear weapon exploded over
Detroit or Leningrad would kill 400,000 people
immediately
– Full-scale nuclear war would kill over 100
million Americans and 75 million Soviets
within 30 days
• The American deaths alone would approximately
equal the 9/11 terrorist attacks every day for 55
years.
Cold War Arms Race:
Cold War Arms Race:
• “You cannot
simultaneously
prevent and prepare
for war." --Albert
Einstein
Cold War Arms Race:
• "I know not with what
weapons World War
III will be fought, but
World War IV will be
fought with sticks and
stones." -- Albert
Einstein
History of “Nukes”
• From 1945-1949 USA
was the only nation to
have Nuclear Bombs.
The Arms Race Begins
• In 1949, the Soviets
developed the
atomic bomb.
History of “Nukes”
• In the 1950’s Britain,
France, and the
USSR all have
nuclear weapons.
Nuclear Holocaust• World leaders realize the clash between
the superpowers could destroy mankind.
Arms Race
• In the 1950’s the US
developed the first
hydrogen bomb,
and the Soviets
released the satellite
Sputnik.
Arms Race
• Dwight D. Eisenhower
was elected to
succeed Harry S.
Truman as president
Arms Race
• Nikita Khrushchev
succeeded Josef
Stalin as Soviet
Premier
Arms race
• In 1957, the launch of
the satellite Sputnik
into space drastically
changes the arms
race
The arms race begins….
• Both countries began developing their weapons so as to be
able to ‘outgun’ their opponents. This meant:
• developing more powerful weapons
•Having more of one weapon than the other side
• WHY NUCLEAR WEAPONS?
• Cheaper than having a large army
• They were a deterrent. The idea was to have so many
missiles that they could not all be destroyed. If one side
attacked then it knew that the other could retaliate. This
was known as MAD – MUTUAL ASSURED
DESTRUCTION.
•For some the Arms Race was a test of the strengths of
Capitalism v communism
Why was there a nuclear arms race?
USSR
76 IBMs
US
450 ICBMs (intercontinental
ballistic missile)
250 Medium range missiles
2,260 Bombers
16,000Tanks
32 Nuclear submarines
260 Conventional submarines
76 Battleships and carriers
700 Medium range bombers
1,600 bombers
38,000 Tanks
12 Nuclear submarines
495 Conventional submarines
0 Battleships and cruisers
THE SPACE RACE
What was the space race?
• The space race was a race between
the United States and the Soviet
Union to explore outer space.
• Many Americans felt that it would be
dangerous to lose this race.
• They realized that if the Soviets
could work or travel in space, they
could easily spy on or attack the
United States.
The serious side was….
• That a rocket that could launch a satellite could
also launch a nuclear warhead at a target.
• So space developments led to rapid advances in
nuclear weapons.
• By 1960 each side had the nuclear capability to
destroy the earth
• In 1961 Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut was
the first man to orbit the earth – the Soviets had
the lead. For Khrushchev it wa a triumph for
communism
Sputnik
• On October 4,
1957, the Soviet
Union launched a
satellite named
Sputnik into outer
space.
• It was sent into
space to circle
Earth.
Khrushchev said
‘ The Sputniks prove that communism has
won the competition between communist
and capitalist countries. The economy,
science, culture and the creative genius of
people in all areas of life develop better
and faster under communism.’
US Catches Up
• The United States had
clearly fallen behind in
the space race.
• The US worked very
hard and quickly, and
launched its first
satellite in
January1958.
• Then, in October of
1958, the National
Aeronautics and
Space Administration,
or NASA was founded
to promote US space
exploration projects.
NASA
• NASA launched the
first successful
weather satellite in
1960.
• Meanwhile, in April
1961 Yuri Gargarin
became the first
person to orbit
(circle) the Earth.
• February 1962, John
Glenn became the
first American to
orbit Earth.
President Kennedy’s Address
• On 21 May, 1961 President Kennedy
made a famous speech in which he
announced an ambitious plan to put a man
on the moon by the end of the decade –
The Apollo Program was launched
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwFvJog
2dMw
Friendship 7
• John Glenn’s
spacecraft was
named Friendship
7.
• More than 60
million Americans
watched the launch
from Cape
Canaveral, Florida
which stayed in
space for 4 hours
and 48 minutes.
Telstar 1
• The US and the Soviet
Union continued to
build and test new
rockets and satellites.
It was discovered that
satellites could be
used for
communication.
• The US satellite
Telstar 1 relayed the
first transatlantic
telecast in 1962.
Apollo 11
• On July 16, 1969, the American spaceship
Apollo 11 blasted off carrying astronauts
Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and
Michael Collins.
• While Collins circled the moon in Apollo
11, Armstrong and Aldrin guided the Eagle,
a small, specially designed spacecraft,
down to the moon’s surface.
• They became the first people to walk on
the moon.
Apollo 11
US Takes the Lead
• With the success of Apollo 11, the United
States had taken the lead in the space
race.
• The space race continued until the
collapse of the Soviet Union, but space
exploration continues today.
• The International Space Station is an
orbiting station on which American and
astronauts from former Soviet countries
now explore space as friends.
The failure of disarmament
• Both sides hoped for arms reductions to
cut defence spending
• After Stalin’s death East-West relations
had improved
• USSR proposed:
– reduction of armed forces
– Eventual abolition of atomic weapons
– International inspections to supervise this
The USA….
• Wanted strong inspection system
• Proposed ‘open skies’ – openly
photograph each others sites from planes
• USSR rejected this
• USA rejected initial USSR proposals
• Stalemate
U2
• 1960
• U2 was a spy plane – that was what it was
developed for
• Able to fly 6000km at high altitudes
• Could take photos of Soviet bomber bases and
missile sites
Events
• May 1- U2 plane piloted by Gary Powers shot
down by Soviet missile over Russia
• May 5 – Eisenhower denied it was spying
• May 7 – Khrushchev says Powers to be
charged with spying
• May 11 – Eisenhower admits U2 was on
spying mission
• May 14 – Khrushchev demands apology and
cancelling of all U2 flights
• May 16 – U2 flights cancelled – no apology –
Khrushchev walks out of Paris Summit
Results
• Paris summit abandoned – hopes on
disarmament dashed
• Khrushchev showed Communist world he
could be tough
• Powers sentenced to ten years. Swapped
for Soviet spy after 17 months
• Cold War attitudes hardened again