Premium Essay

Cold War: The Space Race

Submitted By
Words 923
Pages 4
After the WWII the Cold war had started where different nations competed to gain world dominance. They fought through the Space Race, Arms Race, and Containment. This was mainly between the United States and the Soviet Union.

One example of the way the world competed for world dominance was the Space race. the space race was mainly between the United States and the Soviet Union where they tried to prove superiority through technology, military firepower and political/economic system. The soviets head put out the worlds first satellite a Soviet R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile named Sputnik in 1957. With this the United States launched their own satellite called the Explorer 1 in 1958. After this President Dwight Eisenhower signed and …show more content…
This was another race mainly the United States versus the Soviet Union. where it was a race for the increase of quality and quantity of military equipment. this started with the United Stated creating the H-bomb in 1952, with the Soviets falling shortly behind creating the H-bomb in 1953. Then America created the B52 which was much too expensive for the soviets to follow. But with the launching of Sputnik in 1957, the United States created the Defence and Early Warning system around the arctic, to warn us if they were to ever launch a missile or bomb at us. The soviets had rushed to make as many missiles as they could, while the United States took a bit longer on their missiles to make a better quality missiles, this grew to the point to where by 19161 there was enough bombs to destroy the world. Things like mobile launchers were built missiles were held underground in silos, and a Polaris submarine that carried 16 nuclear missiles with each missile carrying 4 warheads creating a total of 64 warheads being carried on one submarine. The North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) was createdbetween the United states and 11 other Western nations (1949) and the Warsaw Pact was created between the Soviet Union and other communist nations in Eastern Europe (1955). the theory of Mutual Assured Destruction was established of if the Soviets attacked the west, the west would retaliate and attack the east, basically meaning that attacking …show more content…
The United States fought to keep Communism out and keep nations being Capitalists where the Soviets fought for the opposite trying to spread communism. One of the steps the United States took towards this being the Truman Doctrine where in 1947, President Harry Truman proposed to congress to assist Greece and Turkey to keep them from becoming communists. After this was the Marshal Planannounced by Secretary of State, George C. Marshall, between 1948 and 1951 where over $13 billion financed the recovery of Europe and its economy. Also during this Truman had created the Point Four program to help with scientific advances and industrial progress for improving growth of underdeveloped nations. This program resulted in millions of dollars in the scientific and technical assistance along with hundred of United States experts were sent to Latin American, Asian, Middle Eastern and African nations. This action can be assumed that it was also part to help the containment from communism. And then became he Eisenhower doctrine in 1957, where President Dwight Eisenhower proposed a new productive American Policy where they would begin new programs to assist friendly nations economically and with military to keep the "power-hungry communists" hands off the Middle East. In 1961, East Germany began to build a wall, "Antifascistischer Schutzwall," or "antifascist bulwark,"between East and West Berlin which by 1948 led to the Soviets

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Cold War: The Space Race

...After then end of World War II, a new conflict arose that was known as the Cold War. During the Cold War, two of the world’s greatest powers, the United States and the Soviet Union battled to show the world who was more advanced in technology. Over the next two decades, they battled to show who was the most technologically advanced within their knowledge of space. The first phase of the Space Race was focused on developing successful rocket and satellite systems into space. In 1955, both the United States and Soviet Union announced that they would be launching satellites into orbit soon. The Soviets had taken the announcement from the United States as a challenge for who could put their satellite into space first, which was soon a goal for...

Words: 1032 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Cold War

...head: COLD 1 The Cold War Corwin Schneider HIS 104 Professor Patrick Williams June 19, 2012 COLD 2 The Cold War Keep your Finger Off the Button! The Cold War, how did these two countries get to this point in history? While the United States and USSR should have been more grown up and learned to work out their problems, who were the major players in the Cold War and how were the two sides involved in the space race, when did the Cold War start and end, and what were the two sides arguing over. The United States was in an intense war with the USSR for five decades. It started in 1945, shortly after Communist Leader Joseph Stalin learned of the first atomic bomb the U.S. dropped on Japan August 6, 1945. “The Cold War was a strategic struggle that developed after World War II between the United States with its allies and the Soviet Union with its allies” (Bentley, J., Ziegler, H., & Streets, H. 2008 pg. 638). But, this was not an ordinary war between the two, it was a Cold War. It had more attacks of words and propaganda competing which was the better country. One reason these two superpowers never had direct military action against each other was they both possessed Nuclear Weapons. The major powers in the Cold War between...

Words: 2023 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

The Cold War: The Nuclear Arms Race

...he Cold War was a period of tension and hostility between the US and the Soviet Union. The Cold War dominated a long period of time which began with the end of World War II. It was called the Cold War because there was no active war between the two nations. The two superpowers, US and the Soviet Union, each feared nuclear escalation. The Soviet Union was based on a communist system whereas the US was a capitalist country. There were several confrontations between them including the nuclear arms race, competition to space, and ideology. The nuclear arms race was central to the Cold War. People began to fear that the more nuclear weapons one had the more powerful the country was. Based on this thought the US and the Soviet Union rose to power. “In particular, American officials encouraged the development of atomic weapons like the ones that had ended World War II. Thus began a deadly “arms race.” In 1949, the Soviets...

Words: 581 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

To What Extent Did Peaceful Coexistence Ease Cold War Tension Between Us and Ussr 1953- 1961?

...To what extent did peaceful coexistence ease cold war tension between US and USSR 1953- 1961? Between the years 1953-1961 the Soviet Union under the control of Nikita Khrushchev adopted a rather ‘friendly’ and calm approach regarding American-Soviet relations. Following the death of Stalin, Khrushchev adopted the policy of ‘peaceful coexistence’ that sought a friendly approach to the west limiting the threat of direct confrontation. Through the use of this foreign policy Khrushchev could build up the soviet nation directing resources in order to better the Soviet Union’s national situation. This new policy eased cold war tensions as it saw an age of negotiating and the end of a fierce opposing ideological battle upon the surface, yet it is clear that beneath a rather more sinister situation was occurring that would create the most dangerous period in the cold war; ‘the threat of total annihilation’ so therefore it is not fair to say that peaceful coexistence was close to being reached during this period even though the attitude of the Soviet Union had changed. Although it may seem that peaceful coexistence eased cold war tensions as a friendly approach however, it is clear that the change of attitude to a peaceful approach only created further suspicion and the need for security. The threat of total annihilation and the development of a nuclear race created an increasingly tense and dangerous situation. After the development of the atom bomb and hydrogen bomb on both sides both...

Words: 1227 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

History

...Yolanda Williams The Cold War American Intercontinental University Abstract This essay is on the cold war and the major events that affected it. It will be analyzing 2-3 major consequences the conflict had on the United States. It will also explain how the war affected American sensibilities, including the way Americans viewed the war and themselves. The essay will also answer: if the war changed America’s role in the world? And was the outcome of the war beneficial or detrimental to the United States or was it a combination of both. The Cold War: Containment By the time World War II ended, a large majority of the American officials came to a conclusion that the best defense against the soviet threat was a strategy called “containment”. George Kennan explained the policy: The Soviet Union, he wrote was “A political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the U.S. there can be no permanent agreement between parties that disagree”, as a result the only chance America could make was the long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies. This way of thinking would shape American foreign policy for the next four decades. The Cold War: The Atomic Age In 1950, a National Security Council report known as NSC-68 had copied Truman’s suggestion that the country use military force to “contain” expansionism where ever it seemed to be occurring. The report called a four-fold increase in defense spending. American officials...

Words: 770 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Essay On Space Race

...1950s & 1960s the Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US), fought for supremacy in Space exploration. This served as another dramatic arena for Cold War competition and was commonly known as the Space race. The USSR originally had the more effective space program until the death of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev in 1966. Thus allowing for USA’s NASA to overtake its its Soviet Union counterpart. With the race officially ending on July 16, 1969 with the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon.After World War II drew to a close in the mid-20th century, a new conflict began. Known as the Cold War, this battle pitted the world’s two great powers–the democratic, capitalist United States and the communist Soviet...

Words: 465 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Space Race Research Paper

...The Space Race changed history and captivated scientific exploration in the world. It began after World War II in the mid-20th century during the Cold war. The battle was between two great powers in the world, United States and the Soviet Union. During the late 1950s, the competition between the two arose because they wanted to prove which one of them is more capable and superior in technology (military and political-economic system). The Soviet Union launched the first earth satellite Sputnik 1 officially in 1957. After a while, the USSR sent Sputnik 2 which carried a dog named Laika, and it was the first spacecraft to carry animal as it made them the first country who sent a living creature in a spaceship. The U.S. was afraid of communism during the Cold War, as Russia got other people thinking that they might send out nuclear weapons that will somehow destroy the U.S., due to the fact that they sent out Sputnik and the first man into space....

Words: 536 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Ss310 Unit 9 Final Project

...glimpse of history and how things used to be during a certain time period. The first item found when opening the time capsule from the 1960’s is The Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was waged from 1961 until 1975 ("Battlefield: Vietnam,"). The Vietnam War cost over $150 Billion and lost over 58,000 American lives (Van Buren, 1991). The Vietnam War was such a big part of the 1960’s; it is almost impossible to no it include it in any time capsule representing the 1960’s. The second item found in the time capsule is the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement was a movement started to create equality between white people and black people. The fight for racial equality started in 1954 is still going on today (Brunner & Haney, 2007). The Third item removed from the time capsule is the band The Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead provided the sound track for the psychedelic movement of the 1960’s, creating 23 albums over 24 years ("Grateful dead discography," 2013). The fourth object found in the time capsule is the Cold War. The cold war was waged from 1945 until the Warsaw Pact was signed in 1991. The last item found in the time capsule is the space race. The space race started in 1957 and was won by the United States of America in 1969 ("The timeline of," 2009). Upon further examination of the Vietnam War, we discover a time in human history that almost defined an...

Words: 1831 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Space Race Research Paper

...Since the dawn of time humanity has been intrigued by the vastness of space. So many questions have been thought of and so many have yet to be answered. Is there extraterrestrial life in the universe? Is interstellar travel possible? Can humans harness the possible energy sources space has to offer? If the need arises can humanity come together and set aside each other’s differences and find a new planet to call home? After World War Two had ended the United States and Russia began a conflict that lasted almost 30 years. Not until the 1950’s was this conflict called The Cold War (The Space Race and the Cold War). Between the 50’s and 70’s the U.S. and the Soviet Union began what is now known as the great space race (The Space Race and the Cold War). With the increase of advanced technology, humans could now possibly send a man into space and return him home safely. The Soviet Union was the first country to launch a satellite into space on October 4, 1957, and they were also the first country to send a dog into space on November 3rd, 1957 (The Space Race...

Words: 1421 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Flight of Journet

...Patel Professor Merrill English 1010 13 November 2014 The Flight of Glory In the midst of the Cold War, President John Kennedy said, “I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal… of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.” And on July 20, 1969, almost eight years later, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans ever to land on the moon. Due to the heavy influence the Apollo 11 mission had, not only on the world, but also on mankind, the year it was finally accomplished is the most important year of life The Apollo 11 mission was so significant in history because it resulted in the United States winning the Cold War. America partook in the Cold War mainly to prevent the spread of communism post World War II. At the time Kennedy proposed the Apollo mission to the nation, the United States was trailing the Soviet Union in space developments during the Cold War. The USSR had launched Sputnik, the first satellite, and successfully sent a man into space. In turn, America quickly created the Apollo program to prevent the Soviets from winning the Space Race. Through great wealth, technical skill, and determination, America soon landed their men on the moon. The Soviets, however, experienced a series of failures in its attempt to send its own men to the moon. The triumph of the Apollo program ended Soviet leadership in space exploration and dominance in heavy rocket launching technology for they were not able to match...

Words: 940 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Star Wars!

...heralded the Second Cold War which saw a deliberate attempt to undermine the forces of communism. * Reagan’s actions/policies were described as a militarised counter-revolution. They were much more aggressive than those of Carter including extensive re-arming and providing convert help to those fighting against communist forces or governments. Action | Aim | Key Features | 1. Increasing Nuclear Arms | * Regain American military supremacy * Cripple the USSR financially – to compete they would face bankruptcy * Supremacy in arms would therefore grant the USA strength in all areas & force the Soviet leadership to make concessions | * An unprecedented increase in military spending – defence spending was increased by 13% in 1982 and over 8% in each of the following two years * New methods of deploying nuclear missiles developed e.g. Stealth bomber & Trident submarines * Strategic Defense Initiative – SDI – or ‘Star Wars’ est. 1983. The deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems in space | Source A – The SDI Concept Online Explanation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B62n953nQ4o * Advantages of SDI… * Disadvantages of SDI… Source A David Painter, The Cold War: An International History, 1999 SDI was a technologically ambitious and extremely expensive plan to develop a nationwide ballistic-missile defense system that would deploy weapons in outer space to destroy enemy missiles in flight. Popularly known as Star Wars, SDI threatened...

Words: 619 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Cold War

...The Cold War was the time of rivalry and conflict between the USA and the Soviet Union. It started at the end of World War II and ended with the collapse of communism at the end of the 1980s. It was a time of political tension, in which both superpowers tried to prevent each other from gaining too much power. Even if the conflict did not result in a real war, there were many situations in which the world was very close to it. After World War II Although the United States and the Soviet Union were allies during World War II, they had different ideas about the future of the world. At the end of the war the Soviets controlled much of Eastern Europe and installed Communist governments there. The United States, on the other side, wanted to stop Communist ideas from spreading. It helped Western European countries to stay free and also gave them big sums of money to help rebuild their weak economies. The border between the Communist east and the free west was called the Iron Curtain and ran straight through the middle of Europe. The Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain blue = NATO countries red = Warsaw Pact Countries green = bloc-free Grey = neutral Military Blocs after World War II After World War II two military organizations emerged. In 1949 the United States and other western countries founded NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), on the other side the Soviets led the Warsaw Pact, a military organization of eastern European countries. Both military blocs...

Words: 974 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cold War

...The Cold War is a span of almost a half century of tension between, primarily the United States and its allied powers and the Soviet Union and its supporting allies or the Warsaw Pact, from the tension started during World War II and America’s late entry, to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the economic, cultural, social, and political battles that ensued. Hesitant and cautious of Stalin’s thirst for power and dominance through his fanatical Communist control and the chance of Communist expansion, American’s enmity and distrust launched a policy to halt the possibility of the Soviet’s attempts at world dominancy. With American’s refusal to acknowledge the Soviet as a legitimate power only fueled the tension that arose. Although it was termed “The Cold War” only three wars arose during this time, The Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Afghanistan War, and never shaped an actual armed conflict. The succession of the advancement of technology lent its part to shape the cold war and the possession of nuclear warheads led to espionage and constant threats. Although many events led to the tension that constant escaladed between the two powerhouses two major events climaxed the tension. One being the launching of Sputnik Crisis in 1957, in which the US mounted themselves as the successor in space technology and therefore the leader in the forefront of missile construction, suddenly realized that the Soviet Union had surpassed them, which begun the space race, the Apollo mission, and eventually...

Words: 687 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cold War Dbq

...During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union fought together as allies against the Axis powers. However, America has been distrustful of Soviet Union and the communism they started spreading across Asia. America was also worried about the Russian leader Joseph Stalin’s harsh rule of his own country. After the war ended, these worries turned into an overwhelming sense of distrust worldwide. Post War, the Soviets expanded into Eastern Europe nourished many Americans’ fears of the Russian’s plan to control the world. Meanwhile, the Soviets perceived Americans to be ruthless and aggressive but built up their arms for attack on the USSR. This tension between the two countries caused the Cold War, but one country was not to be blamed...

Words: 942 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cold War Legacy

...Every county has a reason for why the do the things they do, they must right? World War II ended in 1945 and was considered the deadliest war in World history. During the war, Russia, the United States, and others rallied up to but a stop to Hitler's mission of Holocaust. However, as one war came to an end, another one started. The Cold War in 1947, as the name dictates, was based on a race of who can get to the top first, between the United States and Russia, but shots were never fired between the two countries. This paper explains the legacy leading up to the Cold War, the various elements, and the conflicts going on today. The legacy begins with the Yalta Conference, where not very much was agreed between the attending countries. Nevertheless,...

Words: 773 - Pages: 4