Arms Race Timeline

By isabella.nitti

  • Detonation of America's First Atomic Bomb

    America detonated its first nuclear bomb. This began the threat of nuclear superiority.

  • Arms Race Began

    On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb. The world was shocked. They did not think the Soviet Union was this far along in their nuclear development. The Arms Race had begun.

  • America's First Hydrogen Bomb

    In 1952 the United States detonated the first hydrogen bomb. This was an even more powerful version of the nuclear bomb. The Soviets followed up by exploding their first hydrogen bomb in 1953.

  • MAD

    Mutual Assured Destruction(MAD) was first introduced because both the US and the USSR had built and tested nuclear bombs. It was soon clear that both sides had built and stockpiled enough nuclear warheads that the U.S. and USSR could wipe out each other (and the rest of the world) several times over. They had reached nuclear parity or a state of equally destructive capabilities.

  • US Created ICBM Technology

    The UShad created the first ICBM missile.

  • First ICBM Missile launched by the USSR

    Named the R-7, the ICBM missile launched posed a huge threat to the US because the USSR could strike from farther than we could.

  • Soviets Detonate Tsar Bomb

    In an attempt to intimidate America, the USSR detonated the Tsar bomb. This bomb was an unnecessarily large nuclear bomb that the Soviet Union had created.
  • Period: to

    Cuban Missile Crisis

    Soviet missiles were placed in Cuba pointed towards the US.

  • Non-Proliferation Treaty

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

  • 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