Nuclear Arms Race & The Space Race

1. Nuclear Arms Race & The Space Race By: Renée 1945

2. What is it/was ? • The nuclear arms race was very important to the Cold War, it was a build up of weapons, the more weapons you had the more powerful you were. America and Russia both built up there nuclear weapons massively and each had allies as well .

3. How it Started • The Cold War began in 1945 when hostilities between the USSR and the USA heated over control of conquered areas in Eastern Europe in the 1940’s that continued. • The United States were the first and only initially to posse atomic weapons, although in 1949 the Soviet Union exploded an atomic bomb which kick started the arms race. Both countries continued building bigger and more powerful atomic weapons. • Then in 1952 the United States created a new more powerful weapon the Hydrogen bomb. The Soviet Union created their own in 1953.

4. DESTRUCTION • The H-Bomb created by the United States was smaller in size than the Hiroshima, but it was 2500 times more powerful. Once the Russia created their on version the world became a seriously dangerous place; which may just have ended the cold war due to the fear evoked by these weapons of mass destruction.

5. The Next Creation • . • The B52 was a bomber created by the U.S, it was able to fly 6000 miles and deliver a nuclear pay-load. This budget required massive financial backing from the government, the Americans were able to afford the costs although Russia could not; so they continued producing bigger bombs that were cost effective.

6. Bigger Missiles • The first missile launched into space was “The Atlas” in 1957 launched by Russia, which proved they had missiles. (The Atlas could reach speeds of 16000 mph and go 5000 miles) • Russia continued making a larger number of missiles than the Americans, would made fewer but better quality missiles. • ICBMs were also one of the most important developments in the 1950s. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY1yQK3NsCE

7. SPACE RACE • Close to the mid 20th century the Cold War began between the two superpowers the capitalist United States and communist Soviet Union. • In the 1950’s space became a dangerous arena for there battle as each fought to prove their superior firepower and political economic system. • Space exploration was also another competition in the Cold War, to launch artificial satellites, spaceflight around the moon and voyages to the moon. • The beginning of the Space Race occurred when the Soviet Union and the United States gained advances German rocket technology.

8. More Space Technologies • Finally in 1957 the first object launched into space by an ICMB was by the Soviet Union who proved they had missiles that were able to reach any part of the world with the launch of the Sputnik satellite into space. Which still maintained the appearance of Science and exploration.

9. During the Feuds • After the Space Race began everyone was terrified and detective arrays were built to notify incoming missiles and bombers. • Underground bunkers were also constructed to protect leaders and citizens that were taught how to react to nuclear attacks. • During the 1960s a theory known as (MAD) was created Mutually Assured Destruction, this meant if one force was to attack the other than the other would be ready to retaliate so there would be no winners. So this stopped the nations from attacking each other and slowed the nuclear arms race. • As by 1961 there was enough missiles and bombs to destroy Earth.

11. The End of the Space Race • In a speech before the President Kennedy in 1963 proposed that the United States and the Soviet Union join forces in their efforts to reach the moon. • Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushcinitially rejected Kennedy's proposal; however, during the next few weeks he concluded that both nations might realize cost benefits and technological gains from a joint venture. Khrushchev was poised to accept Kennedy's proposal at the time of Kennedy's assassination in November 1963.[67] • The two forces joined together in Apollo-Soyuz Test Project human spaceflight mission in July 1975.

13. The End

14. Resource Links • http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/einstein/peace-and-war/nuclear-arms-race • http://www.history.com/topics/space-race • Miss Kiersteads Powerpoint