The Imprtance Of The Amrs Race

Question 1

Who were the two new superpower leaders?

Answer 1

❑ The USA elected a new President in 1953: President Eisenhower.
❑ Stalin died in 1952. After short term, temporary leaders, Nikita Khrushchev became the next key Soviet leader in 1956.

Question 2

The cost of the arms race?

Answer 2

The development of nuclear weapons meant both countries spending huge amounts of money. It was important that they stay ahead of each other to claim a victory in the arms race.

Question 3

What was mutually assured destruction? (MAD)

Answer 3

It was believed that from the early 1950s, both countries had such powerful nuclear weapons that the bombs could have destroyed the world many times over. This meant that the risk of starting a war would have extreme consequences.

Question 4

Status and pride

Answer 4

This competition to develop even bigger nuclear weapons became known as the arms race. Both countries had huge numbers of ‘conventional’ (normal) weapons which had been used in previous wars. However, the world saw the impact of the first atomic bomb on Japan and knew that nuclear weapons would be another way to give status and power to a
country.

Question 5

Using weapons as a deterrent.

Answer 5

Both sides and the rest of the world could see that there were huge risks with conflict. Rather than developing weapons to win a war, the tactic changed to using nuclear weapons as a deterrent. A deterrent is a force that prevents something from happening. A country would be deterred from using their own weapons as the consequence of a nuclear attack would be even worse