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Cold War > The Arms Race 1949-63 > Flashcards

The Arms Race 1949-63 Flashcards

1
Q

What prompted Truman to build the Hydrogen bomb in 1950?

A

1) the speed with which the USSR has ended the USAs nuclear monopoly
2) Berlin blockade 1948-9
3) establishment of the people’s republic of China
4) discovery of soviet nuclear spy ring

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2
Q

When was the Hydrogen successfully tested?

A

November 1952

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3
Q

Delivery the bomb by plane

A
  • both sides developed reliable aircraft to carry the bomb

- however the drawbacks were that they could be shot down

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4
Q

What did the SU do in May 1957?

A
  • successfully tested the world first intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM)
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5
Q

What was also launched by the SU in 1957?

A
  • Sputnik- the first space satellite

- Sputnik 2 was also launched which went in orbit with a dog

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6
Q

What happened in April 1961?

A
  • Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space- the USSR were leading the rocket technology
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7
Q

The Missile Gap 1957-61

A
  • US feared the Soviets had more advanced military equipment
  • the missile gap was in the Soviets favour
  • however it was the case that they could built a bomb but they could not produce it in its masses- the US were actually not far behind
  • the US had more nuclear weapons and also had launched their own satellite (explorer) in 1958
  • the CIA discover showed that the USSR had relatively few bombers
  • US also had deployed IRBMs
  • 1958 Eisenhower increased funding for science education
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8
Q

What did the US deploy in July 1960?

A
  • the worlds first submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM)- more advanced than any other Soviet weapon
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9
Q

Massive Retaliation

A
  • US confidence in their nuclear superiority in the 1950s led to this massive retaliation led by Eisenhower
  • this greater reliance on nuclear weapons involved the use of nuclear weapons
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10
Q

The impact of the arms race on the Cold War

A

Stabilising Effects

  • it prevented US-Soviet confrontation
  • nuclear weapons meant that each side respected their spheres of influence
  • lead to cooperation- nuclear test ban treaty and the hotline and also removal of weapons

Destabilising Effects

  • since the atom bomb in 1949 it’s been a competition to make biggest bomb (hydrogen 1950, ICBMs 1957 and SLBMs 1960)
  • encourage brinkmanship which could of resulted in devastation
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11
Q

What caused the Cuban Missile Crisis 1962?

A
  • the Cuban Revolution 1959
  • the Bay of Pigs 1961
  • Operation Mongoose 1961
  • Soviet nuclear weapons on Cuba 1962
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12
Q

What happened during the Cuban Revolution 1959?

A
  • by mid 20th century the US owned much of the Cuban economy (railways, telephone, electricity and sugar production)
  • from 1933 it was ruled by Baptista- he had a brutal regime
  • January 1959 he was overthrown by Castro
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13
Q

When did the USSR test the atomic bomb?

A

1949

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14
Q

The growing tensions between US and Cuba from 1959-61

A
  • Castro meet Nixon in 1959 and the meeting didn’t go well- Nixon concluded he was a communist
  • Castro executed Baptista’s supporters
  • Many of Baptista’s supporters fled to US asking them to invade
  • Castro wanted the US to be independent so he distributed land to the poor peasants who had suffered under capitalism
  • US oil companies refused to refine the cheaper soviet oil
  • 1960 the US refused to buy sugar off Cuba- the SU said they will buy the crop
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15
Q

The Bay Of Pigs Invasion April 1961

A
  • this was an attempt to overthrow Castro
  • the 1,400 Cuban exiles who invaded were defeated by the Cuban soldiers
  • this was a humiliation for Kennedy
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16
Q

When was Operation Mongoose and what happened?

A
  • October 1961 6 months after the Bay Of Pigs
  • it was a plan to destabilise the Cuban regime and topple Castro
  • 60 000 acts of sabotage took place on the island
  • the US held full scale military exercises to demonstrate their armed might
17
Q

Soviet nuclear weapons on Cuba 1962

A
  • they stalled medium range ballistic missiles launchers

- they also set jet bombers, jet fighters and elite army regiments as well as 40 000 soldiers

18
Q

What were Khrushchevs aims putting missiles in Cuba?

A
  • defend Cuba from invasion
  • to bargain the removal of missiles from turkey
  • to further humiliate Kennedy
  • to put pressure of the west to leave Berlin
  • to achieve nuclear parity
19
Q

What happened on the 14th October 1962?

A
  • US spy plane caught missiles in Cuba
20
Q

What influenced US actions during the Cuban Missile crisis?

A

1) the soviet missiles could hit most of the large cities in America and destroy all air bases
2) the warning time if they did attack would be 3 minutes- no time to act
3) the missiles posed a threat to American economic interests especially the trade routes

21
Q

What happened on the 16th October 1962?

A
  • ExComm was assembled to discuss the US military response
22
Q

What happened on the 20th October 1962?

A
  • Kennedy orders that a quarantine of Cuba should be established immediately to prevent missiles entering
23
Q

What happens on the 22nd October 1962?

A
  • Kennedy orders the immediate withdrawal of missiles

- US military go on DEFCON 3

24
Q

What happens on the 24th October 1962?

A
  • American forces go on DEFCON 2- the highest ever in US history
25
Q

What happens on the 26th October 1962?

A
  • Khrushchev sends a letter saying that he will remove the missiles if the US lift the blockade and pledges they will not invade Cuba
26
Q

What’s happened on 28th October?

A
  • it is agreed that missiles in Cuba would be removed if missiles in Turkey are removed
27
Q

The Consequences of Cuba for Kennedy

A
  • it gave him foreign policy success which strengthened his presidency
  • he had prevented a superpower nuclear exchange
  • for now he accepted that Cuba would remain under a communist rule
  • the knowledge about the Turkish missiles was not revealed to the public until 1968
28
Q

The consequences of Cuba for Khrushchev

A
  • safe guarded Castros socialist revolution
  • action in Cuba had removed the Turkey missiles
  • he chose peace over brinkmanship
  • the soviet military saw it as a humiliating failure
29
Q

The consequences of Cuba on Castro

A
  • he was unhappy as he wanted the removal of the US military base in Guantanamo bay
  • it reinforced his dependence on the USSR
30
Q

What were 2 results of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

A

1) The Hot-Line agreement June 1963
- this meant each side could contact each other immediately
- its aims were to that any misjudgements can be understood

2) The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Augest 1963
- banned conducting nuclear tests in the atmosphere under water or in space
- underground testing was still permitted

Cold War (6 decks)

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