The Nuclear Arms Race

The Nuclear Arms Race A Mr. Bruns brand Alex Mahlberg PowerPoint Presentation.

The Beginning • The first Nuclear weapons were produced by the United States through the Manhattan Project in World War II. • Even though the Soviet Union was an allied power, the US wanted to keep the weapons a secret for they did not trust them enough. • The first nuclear bombs were dropped on Japan in 1945 and were made of Uranium 235 (Little Boy) and Plutonium (Fat Man).

Little Boy Fat Man

The Russians Get the Goods • The US had a monopoly over nuclear weapon production during the years following WWII. • However, the Soviets were secretly developing their own nuclear missiles behind the scenes. • We believed that the USSR would not have nukes until at least the mid 1950’s. • On August 29, 1949, the Soviets detonated their first nuclear weapon. It shocked the world. • Dubbed “Joe One”, the bomb was basically a copy of Fat Man.

RDS-1 “Joe One”

The Race Begins • After both nations possessed the nuclear weapons, they began to race to get better, more efficient and higher quality bombs. • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles or ICBMs were created. They could deliver missiles to any part of the world. Missiles were regarded as the best form of nuclear weapon, and didn’t require the use of bombers.

First ICBM, the Russian SS-6 Sapwood FIRST!!!11!!

Missiles from Outer Space! • When the Soviets launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957, it was feared that they might launch a nuclear missile attack that would reach any part of the world. This also had a major role in starting the space race. Sputnik

Defense Tactics • Satellites were designed to detect a nuclear strike before it happened. • Large bunkers were made to save leaders and citizens built fallout shelters. • People were taught how to react to a nuclear strike in an act of civil defense.

You MAD? • Mutual Assured Destruction (abbreviated “MAD”) was the US and USSR’s mutual understanding that a nuclear strike from either side would cause massive damage to both parties. • This came into play during the 1950’s, when either side had enough power to completely obliterate the other side.

Second Strike • Even if the opposing side launched first and obliterated the enemy, the other side would have means of sending a counter strike to destroy the first attacker. • This was known as a “second strike.” • This is what lead to the realization that an attack from either side would end them both; thus MAD came into effect and nuclear weapons were never used offensively again.

The Other Guys • Along with the US and USSR, the United Kingdom, People’s Republic of China and France also developed small caches of nuclear weapons.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) • The Strategic Arms Limitations Talks took place while Richard Nixon was president. There were two SALTs. • They were arranged to limit the size of each power’s nuclear arsenal. • Along with SALTs, there were bans placed on nuclear testing, anti-ballistic missile systems and weapons in space. • This did little to discourage production of mass amounts of nuclear weapons. New technologies such as MIRV’s (multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles) didn’t help the cause, either.

M.I.R.V. MIRVs had the ability to shoot multiple missiles at multiple targets.

SOURCE CITY • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_arms_race • http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nuclear_arms_race.htm • http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/now/21/FC144

The Nuclear Arms Race