3. Arms Race, New Leaders, Warsaw Pact

just some random inbetween stuff thats still important ❤️

Why did the USA feel secure with regards to the atomic bomb since its development in 1945-1949?

They were the only country in the would with such a weapon, and was much more powerful than the larger stocks of conventional Soviet weapons

What atomic developments happened in 1945-58 for both countries?

• 1945: USA develops the atomic bomb / 1949: Soviet Union develops the atomic bomb

• 1952: USA tests the hydrogen bomb / 1953: Soviet Union tests the hydrogen bomb

• 1958: USA makes first successful ICBM / 1957: Soviet Union makes first successful ICBM launch

Why was the Soviet 1957 ICBM launch especially important?

The USA was testing its first ICBMs at the same time but did not manage a successful launch until 1958. For the first time, the Soviet Union was developing new technology first.

Did the arms race actually give either side an advantage?

• Sort of. The weapons gave each side leverage and military superiority may help in any disagreement with your rival

• The weapons that were being developed were so powerful that, from the early 1950s, both the USA and the Soviet Union could have destroyed the world many times over. This led to a change in thinking about war. Previously, weapons and armed forces were developed to win wars. But, such was the power of the new weapons that they were being developed to ensure that the other side would not go to war at all. Since both sides understood the risks involved in using nuclear weapons, they acted as a deterrent.

What was MAD (mutually assured destruction)?

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) was a key theory during the Cold War
where the US and the Soviet Union, by stockpiling enough nuclear weapons,
ensured that any nuclear attack would lead to the complete annihilation of both
sides, thereby acting as a deterrent against a first strike. This fragile balance of terror meant neither side dared to launch a nuclear attack, even as the two superpowers engaged in an expensive arms race and smaller proxy wars. The doctrine fundamentally shaped military strategy and was a central theme of the Cold War, though the threat of nuclear war was a constant source of tension.

Who was Dwight D Eisenhower?

• Dwight D Eisenhower was elected president of the USA in 1952 and took office in January 1953. His presidential campaign focused on defeating communism and both he and his secretary of state, John Foster Dulles, were strongly anti-communist.

• Eisenhower was determined to block any attempt at communist expansion, but he was also aware of the dangers created by nuclear weapons. This made him prepared to listen to proposals from the Soviet Union that there should be negotiations to try to improve relations.

Who was Nikita Khrushchev?

• Stalins death on 5 March 1953 led to a struggle for power, but in 1956 Khrushchev emerged as the effective ruler of the country

• He critiqued Stalin’s policies and suggested there should be peaceful coexistence with the west

What was peaceful co-existence?

Peaceful co-existence was based on a growing belief in the Soviet Union that its communist philosophy was so superior to that in the West that capitalism would eventually collapse. So in the meantime there was little point having open confrontation which might lead to a destructive war with the West. As a result of the more positive approach of both Khrushchev and Eisenhower, it was hoped that the two superpowers could find a way to reduce tension and move towards peaceful co-existence

What factors led to peaceful co-existence?

• The borders between the capitalist West and Soviet Union were now clearly defined, with the Iron Curtain an agreed boundary. The insecurity and fears that both sides felt at the end of the Second World War had been replaced with an acceptance of the new map of Europe.

• In 1950, there had been a war in Korea in which the USA and the Soviet Union supported different sides. But, in July 1953, that war had come to an end.

• Both the USA and the Soviet Union were spending large sums on their armed forces. Although both sides were prepared to carry on spending, they knew that reducing spending on armed forces would be good for their economies.

• This new hope was strengthened by an agreement in 1955 on how Austria should be governed and a summit meeting in Geneva in July 1955. The Geneva Summit failed to reach agreement over disarmament and the future of Germany, but the atmosphere of co-operation that existed at the meeting reduced some of the tension that existed between East and West.

What broke the good relations in 1955?

In May 1955, West Germany joined NATO. Now it would have the full support of the Western powers, who would come to its aid in any dispute with the Soviet Union. The Soviet response was to organise its own military alliance.

What was the Warsaw Pact?

Within a week of West Germany joining NATO, the Soviet Union formed its own communist defensive military alliance – the Warsaw Pact. The members were the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). These countries became known as the ‘Eastern Bloc’. Although the Warsaw Pact had many member states, the leadership was entirely Soviet and the alliance was under the command of the Soviet Union.

What did the Warsaw Pact reveal about the state of European politics?

There was now no doubt that Europe was, in reality, two Europes. One was under the protection of the USA and working to defeat communism. The other was led by the Soviet Union and seeking to extend communist control. The confrontation and hostility between these two camps drove international relations for the next 35 years.