Arms race

By Hafsah

  • First US Atomic Bomb Detonated

    Threats of the US nuclear superiority began

  • USSR detonates their first atomic bomb

    End of the US monopoly on atomic threats

  • Broken Arrows

    Since 1950 there have been 32 nuclear weapon accidents known as "Broken Arrows".A broken arrow is defined as an unexpected event involving nuclear weapons that result in the accidental launching , firing , detonation , theft or loss of a weapon.
    To this day 6 nuclear weapons have been lost and never recovered.

  • America tests hydrogen bomb

    An hydrogen bomb is also known as a thermo-nuclear bomb , a significant power increase above a typical nuclear bomb

  • Massive Retaliation

    Idea announced by Eisenhower , fueled the idea of MAD

  • USSR get lithium bomb

  • USA gets lithium bomb

  • USA gets B52 stratofortress

    (Intercontinental bomber)

  • USSR gets TU20 Bear

    (intercontinental bomber)

  • USSR gets SS-6 Sapwood icbm

    (Intercontinental ballistic missile)

  • First ICBM missile launched by USSR

    Named the r-7 was a significant range increase.Posed a major threat to the US because they could strike from farther than they could

  • Sputnik put into orbit

    Major soviet advance in space-race, moral shift,showed society that the USSR was very strong world power.

  • US develop ICBM technology

  • USA develop Polaris Submarine -launched nuclear missile.

  • Deployment of Jupiter BRIMS in Italy and Turkey respectively by USA

  • U-2 incident

    USAF spy aircraft shot down over USSR

  • Soviets detonate Tsar Bomba

    An unnecessarily large bomb meant for intimidation

  • First human spaceflight

  • McNamara proposed idea of counter force

    Heavily criticized as only being preemptive
  • Period: to

    Cuban missile crisis

    Soviet missiles placed in Cuba , and US missiles in Turkey.End results were the withdrawal of missiles from Cuba and Turkey and the creation of the nuclear hotline.

  • Partial test ban treaty

    Did not include China , but the other major world powers agreed to stop testing nuclear bombs anywhere but underground , partially because of the risk of nuclear fallout, and partially to slow the arms race and move towards detente.

  • USSR develop defensive ABM systems

  • US develop MIRV

    Added great accuracy to missiles

  • Non-Proliferation Treaty

    Nations with nuclear capabilities agreed to not spread nuclear weapons and technology to nations without nuclear capabilities.

  • USSR develop MIRV technology

  • Strategic defense initiative

    Proposed idea of a laser based anti-missile system, would be an end to MAD.Unrealistic technology, but in combination with the failing USSR economy , was enough to end the Cold war.