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Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
This started the race to build nuclear weapons, between Russia, and the USA. -
Period: to
Nuclear Arms Race
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Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki
After Japan refused to surrender after the first atomic explosion, the USA decided to drop another bomb to finish them off -
V-2 Rocket Scientists
The United States hired German scientists who were responsible for the V-2 Rocket to make Nuclear missiles. -
Soviet Union Nuke Test
The Soviet Union tested their first Nuclear weapon, although they were way behind the USA in the Nuclear Arms Race. Their missiles were very innaccurate, and their size makes them hard to conceal. -
Hydrogen Bomb
The US was building intercontinental ballistic missiles that could travel long distances to reach the Soviets. So the US tested their first Hydrogen Bomb that had a larger explosion with a lighter warhead. -
Atlas Missile
The US developed the Atlas missile which could travel 6,000 miles and only miss its target by a mile. However, it took over an hour to prepare to launch and this would undermine its effectiveness. -
Minuteman Missile
This missile overcame the problem with the Atlas missile and this missile had its own fuel engine and could be fired in 30 seconds. They were small missiles being only 54 feet long and could be stored underground to be protected from an enemy attack. -
Polaris Submarines
These submarines could carry nuclear missiles. The subs were protected by the sea, and could therefore get coser to the Soviet Union to increase the missiles' accuracy -
U-2 Planes
With U-2 planes Soviet nuclear sites were vulnerable because these planes could read newspaper headlines with its cameras from over 12 miles high. -
Nuclear Shelters
Soviets became concerned with Kennedy announcing that the US would start building nuclear shelters. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Since the Soviets were far behind the United States they needed to have their missiles located within a certain distance so they placed their missiles in Cuba. -
The Decline of the Nuclear Arms Race
The Nuclear Arms Race is still on-going today, though not as much. We ar ein the process of stopping the developement of nuclear weapons in other countries.
