ARMS RACE What’s it all about?—

Having the Strongest Military • In 1940 the U.S. spent 18% of its budget on defense • By 1950 it was 32% • By 1960 it was 52% NUCLEAR BOMBS • The Arms race began when the Soviet Union detonated its 1st Atomic bomb in 1949 • This led President Truman to believe that the U.S. needed an even bigger weapon –The Hydrogen Bomb—capable of reaching MEGATON (1 million tons of TNT) explosive force NUCLEAR BOMBS • In 1952 The U.S. detonated the 1st Hydrogen bomb (MIKE) 10 megatons • In 1953 The Soviets detonated one • This leads to a policy of brinkmanship—living on the edge of all-out war – In 1953 Dwight Eisenhower becomes President – His Secretary of State John Dulles proposes a plan for containment • Threaten to use ALL OF OUR FORCE, INCLUDING NUCLEAR WEAPONS against any aggressor nation • The idea was to deter any attacks, make them think we just might be crazy enough to do it ICBMs • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles • Rocket powered missiles that could deliver a nuclear warhead from the Soviet Union to the United States or vice versa • Germans tried to develop them during WWII to attack New York • The first successful Soviet ICBM (the R-7) was launched in Oct. 1957—it was used to launch a satellite ICBMs • The U.S. successfully launched its 1st ICBM in Dec. 1957 (Atlas) • These missiles were placed around the world and made ready to use by 1959 • These were better than having to use planes to drop bombs which was fairly risky Likely U.S. Targets SPACE RACE • Sputnik – The world’s first satellite – Launched Oct. 4 1957 by the Soviet Union – Launched using an ICBM – This embarrassed the U.S. • Our first attempt to launch a satellite failed miserably further embarrassing us • By Jan 1958 however, the U.S. successfully launched a satellite of its own • The space race is about weapons technology not exploration Sputnik BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS (germ warfare) • 1st developed during WWII • The Japanese dropped plague infested fleas on china • The U.S. began researching, 1st bacteria then viruses that could be weaponized – They would be cheaper to produce – they would kill lots of people, but would not damage property • The Soviets had similar programs • Biological weapons included things like – Anthrax, Small Pox, the Plague Other Aspects of the ARMS RACE • Spying (information gathering—otherwise, how do you know who’s winning?) – Done by The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – U-2 spy planes • They could fly really high without being detected • They would fly over and take detailed infrared pictures of troop movements and missile sites – Spies • Double agents who lived in, and worked for, the Soviet Union and spied for America Other Aspects of the ARMS RACE • Covert (secret) Operations to weaken or overthrow governments not friendly to the U.S. – IRAN— • 1951 the Shah (king) of Iran was overthrown by the people of Iran • That same year, Iran’s democratically elected prime minister nationalized Iran’s Oil Fields (in other words he put the formerly privately (mostly British) owned oil fields under the control of the Iranian government) • In response, Britain stopped buying Iranian Oil • As the Iranian economy suffered, the U.S. feared they might turn to the Soviet Union for help • So the CIA sent millions of dollars to Iran to have the Prime Minister Overthrown and the Shah (King) of Iran reinstated • The Shah was hated; He was a dictator; but He was Pro-American • He turned the Oil fields back over to Western companies THIS IS WHY IRAN DOESN’T LIKE US TODAY!!!!!!!! Guatamala • Guatemala— – 1951 the democratically elected president of Guatemala took 200,000 acres of American- owned farmland and gave it to peasants – The U.S. saw this as a communist act suspecting the U.S.S.R was behind it – So the U.S. began plans to overthrow the Guatemalan President – In 1954 The CIA funded an army to invade Guatemala and overthrow the president – When all was said and done, the invading Army’s leader took over as the country’s dictator Guatamala Alliances • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) – 1949--Western Countries formed an alliance against the Soviet Union • Warsaw Pact – 1953—Stalin Died, and Nikita Khrushchev took over the Soviet Union – The tensions died down a bit, because Khrushchev believed communism could spread through peaceful means – BUT…in 1955 West Germany was allowed to rearm and join NATO – The Soviet Union formed an alliance against NATO countries called the Warsaw Pact