The Nuclear Arms Race

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The Nuclear Arms Race
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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).

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Little Boy
Fat Man
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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 1950s.
• 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.

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RDS-1 Joe One
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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 didnt require the
  use of bombers.

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

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You MAD?

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

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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.

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The Other Guys

• Along with the US and USSR, the United Kingdom,
  Peoples Republic of China and France also
  developed small caches of nuclear weapons.

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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
  powers 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 MIRVs (multiple independently targetable
  reentry vehicles) didnt help the cause, either.

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