The Arms Race

Question 1

How was tension further increased during 1950s?

Answer 1

Both USA and Soviet Union tried to win military supremacy. This resulted in an arms race that led to each side having such powerful weapons that they could destroy their rivals several times over

Question 2

How did USA feel since developing atomic bomb in 1945?

Answer 2

They were sure they were the only country with such power so they believed it was a very good counter to the larger number of conventional weapons in the Soviet Union

Question 3

How long until Stalin got own atomic bomb?

Answer 3

1949

Question 4

How did USA respond to USSR getting first atomic bomb?

Answer 4

Developed hydrogen bomb in 1952 which was 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb and restored American advantage

Question 5

What did Soviet Union develop one year after USA made hydrogen bomb?

Answer 5

Soviet Union developed own hydrogen bomb

Question 6

What did the USA develop in 1957?

Answer 6

ICBM (inter-continental ballistic missile) which could fire a nuclear warhead at a target more than 4500km away

Question 7

What happened a few months after USA developed ICBM’s?

Answer 7

USSR testing first ICBMS

Question 8

Why was there a question on whether either side really had an advantage?

Answer 8

Huge sums of money were being spent on nuclear weapons so everyone ended up copying each other’s weapons and destroying thejr economies

Question 9

As nuclear weapons were so powerful they could end the world, what became likely with these weapons?

Answer 9

Mutually assured destruction

Question 10

How did the uses of weapons change after nukes in the arms race?

Answer 10

Instead of weapons being used to win wars, they were now there to act as a deterrent against war

Question 11

When was Eisenhower elected president of USA?

Answer 11

1952

Question 12

What did Eisenhower’s presidential campaign target?

Answer 12

Communism and both he and his secretary of state where strongly wnti-communist

Question 13

What was Eisenhower determined to do?

Answer 13

Block any attempt at communist expansion, but he was also aware of the dangers of nuclear weapons

Question 14

What was Eisenhower open to?

Answer 14

Soviet proposals that there should be talks to improve the relationship between the two superpowers

Question 15

When did Stalin die?

Answer 15

5th March 1953

Question 16

Why did Stalin’s death lead to a power struggle?

Answer 16

He hadn’t named a successor

Question 17

When did Nikita Khrushchev effectively become ruled of Soviet Union?

Answer 17

1956

Question 18

What did Khrushchev do at the party congress od 1956?

Answer 18

Openly criticised Stalin’s policies ans suggested there should be peaceful co-existence with the West

Question 19

What did the changes of leadership make people hopeful of?

Answer 19

The tension between Soviet Union and USA reducing and a solution to the arms race could be found

Question 20

What two other factors contributed to the hope that tensions would decrease with new leaders?

Answer 20

In 1950, in the Korean war, USA and Soviet Union had supported different sides but by July 1953 the war ended
Both superpowers knew reducing spending on arms would be good for economies

Question 21

How was Korea split at end of WW2?

Answer 21

Into two

Question 22

Which side of Korea did each superpower support in Korean war?

Answer 22

Soviet Union supported north korea and USA supported south korea

Question 23

When did North Korea invade south korea?

Answer 23

1950

Question 24

Who sent forces to defend South Korea in Korean war?

Answer 24

United Nations, led by USA

Question 25

As UN supported South Korea, what situation did the superpowers find themselves in?

Answer 25

Weren’t actually fighting each other but became involved in bitter diplomatic hostilities

Question 26

What was the new optimism after arms race fuelled by?

Answer 26

Agreement in 1955 on how Austria should be governed and a summit meeting in Geneva in July 1955

Question 27

What happened in the Geneva summit July 1955?

Answer 27

Failed to reach an agreement over disarmament and the future of Germany, but the atmosphere of co-operation at the meeting reduced some f the tension between East and West

Question 28

How were the better relations short-lived?

Answer 28

May 1955, West Germany joined NATO and the Soviet response was the Warsaw Pact