Arms race and Space Race

Question 1

When was the first atomic bomb? (USA)

Answer 1

6 Aug 1945

Question 2

When was the first atomic bomb? (USSR)

Answer 2

Aug 1949

Question 3

When was the first hydrogen bomb? (USA)

Answer 3

November 1952

Question 4

When was the first lithium bomb? (USSR)

Answer 4

August 1953

Question 5

When was the Gaither Report?

Answer 5

7th November 1957

Question 6

What was the Gaither Report?

Answer 6

Eisenhower’s commissioned report which investigated the state of US-Soviet nuclear capability

Question 7

What were the findings of the Gaither Report?

Answer 7

First presented the concept of a missile gap between the two revealing that a predicted 100 to 30 lead in ICBMs in favour of the USSR

Question 8

What did Eisenhower place his trust in the Gaither Report of U-2 spy plane?

Answer 8

U-2

Question 9

How did USA use UK to strengthen nuclear capabilities?

Answer 9

Following the Bermuda Conference the USA stationed IRBMs in Britain

Question 10

ICBM Missile gap between USSR and USA in 1960

Answer 10

295 for USA, 75 for USSR

Question 11

3 causes of the arms race

Answer 11

1. Growth of international tension
   - Arms were viewed as necessary to safeguard interests of East and West
   - USA had a monopoly in nuclear warfare from 1945 until the Soviet Union developed it’s own in 1949
2. National and personal considerations
   - Opportunity to raise national prestige/reputation, which became more and more important
3. Domestic Factors

Question 12

Impact of arms race 1949 - 1963

Answer 12

• Nuclear weapons forced each side to think twice before taking any measure to escalate war
• If devastation caused by nuclear weapons was too horrific to contemplate except as a last resort, the importance of conventional arms remained central to military strategy
• Sides had to think before using nuclear (Mutually assured destruction)
• Heightened fear and hostility

Question 13

When was Sputnik?

Answer 13

4th October 1957

Question 14

Impact of Sputnik on Eisenhower and USA

Answer 14

• The USA was alarmed and was convinced the USSR had the technology to launch nuclear missiles from space and there was no defence against it
• Eisenhower was accused of allowing the Soviet Union to gain a lead
• Sputnik appeared to fundamentally undermine the effectiveness of the massive retaliation strategy
• Sputnik created a sense of urgency for the USA to develop its own space programme

Question 15

How much did Eisenhower authorise for technological developments in September 1958 following Sputnik?

Answer 15

$1 billion

Question 16

When was the first man in space? (USSR)

Answer 16

April 1961

Question 17

How many space missions had both sides performed by 1962?

Answer 17

USA had launched 63 space missions compared to the USSR’s 15 missions

Question 18

When was the U2 incident?

Answer 18

1st May 1960

Question 19

What was the U2 incident?

Answer 19

Powers flight over USSR in a US spy plane and trying to work out USSR’s capabilities and how many weapons they were producing

Question 20

Impact of the U2 incident

Answer 20

• The Paris meeting collapsed and there was no Test Ban Treaty
• There was no discussion about the problem of Berlin - which, ultimately, led to the Berlin Wall