CW Intesifies 1952-58

• What event marked the start of the Arms Race?

  The USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
• What was the primary competition during the Arms Race?

  The USA and the Soviet Union competed to create and stockpile the most advanced weapons.
• Why did world leaders believe nuclear technology was important after 1945?

  They believed it would prevent either country from becoming too powerful.
• What significant developments in nuclear technology occurred from 1950 to 1958?

  The creation of hydrogen bombs and Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).
• How did the Arms Race contribute to the Space Race of the 1960s?

  The Arms Race later developed into an ambition for space supremacy.
• What effect did the Arms Race have on Cold War tensions?

  It intensified Cold War tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union.
• By 1958, what capability did both the USA and the Soviet Union possess?

  Both sides possessed and perfected weaponry that could destroy the world.
• What was the Cuban Missile Crisis an example of?

  It showed how distrust over nuclear weapons can cause conflict.
• Why do many countries still possess nuclear weapons today?

  They believe they are a deterrent to large-scale war.
• Who authorized the use of atomic bombs on Japan?

  Truman authorized the use of atomic bombs.
• What was the relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union at the time of the atomic bombings?

  They were allies under the Grand Alliance.
• What event worsened the relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union after World War II?

  The defeat of Nazi Germany and subsequent peace conferences.
• What did historians believe was the USA's intention behind the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

  As a warning to Stalin.
• What did Truman inform Stalin about at the Potsdam Conference?

  That the USA had developed the atomic bomb.
• What was the outcome of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the USA's status?

  It showed that the USA was the strongest superpower.
• What did Stalin instruct Soviet scientists to do after the atomic bombings?

  To begin developing their own atomic bomb.
• Why did Stalin believe the Soviet Union needed atomic weapons?

  To defend against US aggression.
• When did the Soviet Union successfully develop their first atomic bomb?

  By 1949.
• What did the USA feel compelled to do after the Soviet Union developed their atomic bomb?

  To develop more powerful technology.
• Who developed the idea of the hydrogen bomb during the Manhattan Project?

  Edward Teller.
• What triggered the development of the hydrogen bomb?

  The uncovering of a spy within the USA's nuclear team.
• Who was Klaus Fuchs?

  A scientist who had worked on the Manhattan Project and passed information to the Soviet Union.
• What did the US government argue about Fuchs' espionage?

  That it sped up the Soviet Union's creation of the atomic bomb by one year.
• When was the first hydrogen bomb tested?

  In 1952.
• What is the key difference between the detonation of an atomic bomb and a hydrogen bomb?

  An atomic bomb detonates through nuclear fission, while a hydrogen bomb detonates through nuclear fusion.
• How much more powerful is a hydrogen bomb compared to an atomic bomb?

  A hydrogen bomb is approximately 1,000 times more powerful than an atomic bomb.
• What was the blast radius of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

  Roughly 5 square miles.
• What was the blast radius of hydrogen bombs in tests?

  Roughly 44 square miles.
• What was the largest man-made explosion recorded in history?

  The Soviet Union tested 'Tsar Bomba' in 1961.
• How powerful was the Tsar Bomba when it was tested?

  50,000 kilotons (or 50 megatons).
• Why was the original version of Tsar Bomba not tested?

  Soviet scientists believed it was too dangerous to test.
• What limitation did hydrogen bombs have in warfare?

  An aeroplane needed to drop the bomb over its intended target.
• What was a danger involved in dropping bombs from aeroplanes in the 1950s?

  Pilots may be unable to fly away to safety in time.
• What was the USA's goal in developing Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)?

  To hit targets from a further distance away.
• When were ICBMs created by the USA?

  In 1957.
• What inspired the creation of ICBMs?

  The technology behind Nazi Germany's V-2 rockets.
• How far could ICBMs hit targets?

  Over 2,700 miles away.
• What was the impact of the Arms Race on US-Soviet relations?

  It caused more fear and tension between the USA and the Soviet Union.
• How much of its GDP did the USA invest in military spending during the 1950s?

  More than 13% of its GDP.
• How much of its GDP did the Soviet Union spend on its defense budget by the 1960s?

  More than 20% of its GDP.