Cold war- Sputnick + missiles/ technology Flashcards
Why was it a suprise for Russia to develop an A- Bomb
- WW2 devestation
- Lack of infastructure
How did Russia develop an A-bomb?
- Russia infilterated Manhattan project
- Fookes- did not believe America should have monopoly + gave designs to USSR.
What was the power of H-bomb?
-unlimited yeild.
-1000x as big as a A-bomb/ power of bomb dropped at hiroshoma.
When was the H-bomb tested and how many tonnes of TNT did it represent?
- November 1952
- 10M tonnes
Why was the Korean war seen as such as an issue for the Americans according to president Truman compared to Eissenhower?
- ‘a communist invasion’
- threatened nuclear action to deter russians.
Explain 2 instances where the Russians tested atomic bombs?
- Red army exercise- sent troops into radiated area + West continued in the pacific.
- Shrimp test
What was the consequences of Russian ‘shrimp’ bomb testing?
- Nuclear fallout larger than expected
- Lucky dragon- chinese fishing boat-radioactive fallout.
How did the US respond to continuing USSR bomb testing?
-Warned citizens- ‘duck, cover your neck, face the wall, bomb shelters in the garden’
At which convention did Eisenhower, Khrushchev + Bulganin meet at?
-the genova convention.
What was proposed at the genova convention?
-‘open skies policy’- freedom to fly, photograph, observe and exchange copies of millitary programmes.
-met with mutual suspicion
How did Khrushchev respond to the open skies policy?
‘you are simply trying to look into our bedrooms!’
What did the soviets try to show off at an air show?
-new bombers ‘bison’
-capable of flying nukes to the US- shocked Americans
How did Eisenhower respond to the Russian airshow?
-Doubled the b52 production.
What did the initial U2 bomber flights reveal about the missile gap and how did Russia respond?
-massive bomber gap in US’s favour.
-wanted to produce missiles like ‘sausages’
What was tested at Baikonour?
-ballistic missiles
-sputnick
What was Sputnick and what was the response overseas?
- first space satellite
- shock + America worried about technological advancement. (Winning space race).
What was sputnick 2?
- satellite contaning passanger (lyca the dog).
What was the response of sputnick 2 from the US?
- concern over missiles development
- US pushed pwn satellite programme through.
- called on navy to produce satellite vanguard.
What happened to Sputnick 2?
-it burned up in the atmosphere
-national humiliation
What was the response to the failure of Sputnick 2 in USSR?
-national defence education act
What was the national defence education act?
-encouragement for students to take science and engineering courses.
What technological advancement happened in 1959 Moscow?
-Nixon opened American national exhibition in Moscow- showing colour TV.
-Khrushchev was not impressed.
What happened in 1959 and why was this significant in terms of the arms race?
-Khruschev went to US
-both said they would slow arms race/
Who was Gary powers?
-selected to fly dangerous spy mission to try to find missiles.
-Americans used cover story of being drifted off course into soviet airspace.
-BUT.. had a silenced pistol + poison on plane.
What was USSR’s response to the Gary powers incident?
-tough stance- wanted apology
-khruschev bursts out of Paris summit after Eisenhower only said he woul stop spy planes
-ruined plan of peaceful coexistance/
Why was Khruschev concerned following the Gary powers incident?
-U2 flights had exposed capabilities as bluff.
-the nedelin disaster
