Warsaw Pact and the Arms Race: The origins of the Cold War, 1941-58: History: GCSE (9:1)

Eisenhower

Became president of the USA in 1953

Kruschev

Became premier of the Soviet Union in 1953.

The Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw was a soviet military alliance.

Aims of the Warsaw Pact

To resist an attack on the Soviet bloc by the USA or its NATO allies.

Countries in the Warsaw Pact

USSR, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany (GDR), Albania

Impact of the Warsaw Pact on relations

There was now two rival alliance systems in the Cold War, increase rivalry between East and West and intensified the arms race.

Arms Race

Cold war competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union to build up their respective armed forces and weapons

1945 The Atomic Bomb USA

1945 The atomic bomb 2 atomic bombs are dropped on Japanese cities by the USA.

1949 Atomic Bomb USSR

1949 The USSR tests its first atomic bomb

1952 H Bomb USA

1952 The first H (hydrogen) bomb is created by the USA.

1954 H Bomb USSR

In 1954 the USSR created the H Bomb.

Development of bombs

The superpowers were not just developing new bombs, they were also making more powerful bombs. A singular hydrogen bomb in the 1950s could destroy and entire city

Super power arms spending between 1949-1953

Super power arms spending: 1949 USA $13.5 billion, USSR $13.4 billion. By 1953 the USA were spending $49.6 billion on weapons per year. and Soviet Union $25.5 billion.

ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile)

A missile with a minimum range of more than 5,500 kilometers primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more nuclear warheads). By 1961 the USA had 63, the Soviet Union had 50+.

SLBM (submarine-launched ballistic missiles)

Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines. By 1961 the USA had 96, the Soviet Union had 0.

MRBM

Medium Range Ballistic Missiles. Typically these have ranges below IRBMs, between 1,000km and 3,000km. Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles had a range between 3,000 and 5,000 KM). By 1961 the USA had 80, the Soviet Union had 200 MRBM/IRBMs.

Long-Range Bombers

Long-range B-52 bombers could fly across continents to drop nuclear bombs. By 1961 the USA had 600, the Soviet Union had 190.

Impact on international relations

The Soviet Union was behind the USA in nuclear development, but could still destroy the USA. Churchill describe the global situation as a 'balance of terror'.