The first successful detonation of an American-made hydrogen device occurred on November 1, 1952, in the Pacific region on the Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands. While anti-communist tensions were at a moderate baseline in the early years of the Cold War, the period of time encompassing the race to develop a functional hydrogen bomb set the precedent for the rising tensions of the Cold War as it escalated throughout the 20th century.
Some scientists, like Edward Teller, were proponents of the production of a super-bomb, while others were extremely opposed to the idea. The development of the hydrogen bomb is a widely discussed topic, as there were many conflicting spheres of influence involved with its production within the political, social, and scientific communities. To maintain their perceived superiority and suppress Soviet attempts at becoming a global leader, the United States began production of an even more devastating weapon: the hydrogen bomb. The Soviet Union recognized the immense military value of having atomic weapons and went on to develop their own atomic bombs in 1949. The arms race culminated in an effort to develop nuclear weapons similar to the atom bombs dropped at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which brought a violent end to World War II. tried to outdo one another by creating more powerful and increasingly sophisticated nuclear weapons. also jumpstarted a nuclear arms race, as the Soviet Union and the U.S. Not only were small arms, aircraft, ships, and land-based military vehicles being produced en masse, the containment and arms race-related policies employed by the U.S. The U.S.’s containment efforts-which focused on a blend of increased arms production, ramped up militarism and displays of force throughout the world, the continued promise of mutually assured destruction by nuclear weapons, and the containment of Soviet-supported, communist political movements outside the Soviet Union-led to the American defense budget quadrupling. American officials recommended that the United States develop and deploy atomic weapons in an effort to keep Soviet doctrines and policies from expanding unchecked throughout Europe and the world, and to highlight to the Soviets that there would be dire consequences if they continued their expansionist policies. Under the umbrella goal of containing Soviet Russia’s military capacity, the United States began manufacturing armaments at an excessive rate, rationalizing the production of these arms as necessary to ward off potential conflict. Arms Race Between the United States & Russia
Such action helped set the tone for the next four decades of United States foreign policy. American diplomat, George Kennan, described this strategy as “a political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the United States, there can be no permanent modus vivendi ” concluding that America had only one option to proceed, “long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.” In 1947, President Harry Truman made the containment of the Soviet Union a top priority, laying the groundwork for the Cold War by introducing domestic policies that centered on undermining communism in the United States. Containment of RussiaĪt the end of World War II, the majority of American leadership was in agreement that the most viable approach against the political and militaristic expansion of the Soviet Union was to implement a containment strategy that would help keep the Soviet expansion in check and protect Western democratic values.
By deeply delving into the most critical events of the dispute, historians can develop a better understanding of the Cold War’s extensive conflict. Spanning approximately 45 years between 19, wherein no direct battles were fought, the Cold War was a period of intense geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War shook the foundation of the world, as it was the first time that large-scale nuclear warfare became a truly realistic threat.
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