Download Events Leading to the Space and Nuclear Arms Race

Events Leading to the Space and
Nuclear Arms Race
• World War II ended in 1945 and the Cold War
begins
• The Cold War was a competition between the
United States and the U.S.S.R. in which the two
countries fought for military dominance.
The Soviet’s Get The Atomic
Bomb
• The next, each nation competed
to be the first to create the
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
(ICBM).
– ICBM could deliver a nuclear
weapon from the nation's soil to its
enemy's cities and military bases.
– Is this important?
The Effects of the Nuclear Arms
Race at Home
• An example of this
propaganda is “Bert the
turtle,”
– cartoon turtle that was
created to stress the need
to take cover from flying
glass and debris in case
of a raid
– Would this really work?
Sputnik
• On October 4, 1957, the Soviets launched
Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, into
orbit around the earth.
Sputnik
• Sputnik weighed 184 pounds and was 23 inches in
diameter.
– Sent out a "beep-beep" radio signal through its that
scientists and human radio operators throughout the
world could hear.
Sputnik
• Sputnik remained in orbit until January 4th ,
1958
– burned up when re-entering earth’s atmosphere
• The USSR launched a series of Sputniks
after the successful launch of Sputnik I.
Sputnik
• Sputnik II, launched on
November 3, 1957, carried
a dog named Laika on
board.
• Laika was the first living
organism in space.
The United State’s Reaction to
Sputnik
• Many Americans felt Sputnik was a step closer to a
nuclear attack by the Russians.
• There was an overhwhelming feeling that the USSR was
winning the space race.
– NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is
created to encourage space technology in the United States.
Military Industrial Complex
• Eisenhower used his farewell address to
inform Americans of a new danger
• He warned of the potential misuse of power
by the arms industry.
– Close connections to the government and an
industry that profits from war.
– Careful to support one industry too much
John Fitzgerald Kenndey
• Runs for President of the United States in
1960
• Kennedy Argues that a "missile gap"
favoring the Soviet Union makes an
increase in defense spending necessary
• His opponent, Richard Nixon, Asserts that
the U.S. has maintained military standing
with the Soviet Union, and that military
spending should be watched carefully for
excess
Results
• Hotly contested: very close
– Kennedy wins by 113,000 out of 68 million cast
• Nixon publicly claims that he will not contest for
“good of nation”
The First Man To Orbit The
Earth
• On April 12, 1961, Yuri A. Gagarin was launched
into space aboard the Soviet vessel Vostok I,
making him the first human to orbit the earth.
The First Man To Orbit The
Earth
• The ship made a single orbit around the
earth, and the flight only lasted about 1 hour
28 minutes.
• This was another great victory for the
Soviet Union and a big step towards
defeating the U.S. in the space race.