SKIP CONTENT SIGN IN REGISTER SEARCH TODAY GIVE GIFT ENTER YOUR KEYWORDS NAVIGATION MAGAZINE THE ARCHIVE MATTERS READS BOOK REVIEWS PODCAST STUDENT ARCHIVE REVIEWS LOCATION PERIOD THEME STUDENTS ARMS RACE BY JOHN SWIFT PUBLISHED REVIEW ISSUE PRINT EMAIL SOVIET COLD WAR RUSSIA MILITARY JOHN SWIFT VITAL ELEMENT THE COLD WAR THE DESTRUCTION OF JAPANESE CITIES HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI AMERICAN ATOMIC WEAPONS IN AUGUST THE UNITED STATES THE SOVIET UNION LASTED CONVENTIONAL FORCES IN EUROPE TREATY ENTIRE GENERATION UNDER THE SHADOW IMMINENT FEARS HUMANITY RECKLESS MISTAKE EXTINCTION OF MANKIND WEAPONS UP TO BEYOND CONCEIVABLE UNCERTAINTY INSTABILITY LEADERS FEAR DISTRUST DEGREE RATIONALITY REASON BEHIND COLOSSAL ARMS SUPERWEAPON THE RAPID SURRENDER OF JAPAN CERTAINLY POSSESSED INDEED SUSPECT THE REAL PURPOSE LESS FORCE WISHES CONSTRUCTION OF POSTWAR AMERICAN DIPLOMACY THE POSSESSION PROVED LITTLE THE SOVIET LEADERSHIP QUICKLY DEFENCE WESTERN EUROPE THE FACE INVASION STEP JOSEPH STALIN NEVER SEEMS AMERICAN GOVERNMENT JUSTIFY ORDER POLITICAL REFORMS EASTERN ARGUABLY THE TEST EXPLOSION NUCLEAR BOMB THE MARSHALL ISLANDS DETERMINED SHOW CERTAIN DEVELOP THE AMERICANS EIGHT WARTIME DEVASTATION SUFFERED LEFT PONDER PROBLEMS SECURITY WEAPON DESTROY EXPERIENCE GERMAN V2 ROCKETS WARHEAD SURELY INSTANT JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR TAUGHT THE SURPRISE ATTACK TOOL DEMOCRACIES IN CONSEQUENCE THOUGHT INTERNATIONAL CONTROLS AUSPICES THE UNITED PREVENT NATION THIS WAS BASIS BARUCH PLAN FINANCIER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER BERNARD BARUCH THE DISMANTLING INTERNATIONAL PROHIBITION PRODUCTION ATOMIC ENERGY STRICT SUPERVISION HAVE TO INSPECTION SHARE WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN ADMINISTRATION SOUNDED REJECTED PROPAGANDA POINTS THE WHOLE POINT THE ONLY TO BE TO RETALIATION IN KIND ATOMIC ATTACK EVER AS IT ACCURATE DETERRENCE BOMBERS BRITAIN THE FAR EAST TESTED ATOMIC SHOCK NUCLEAR BOMBS SEEM AUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT OF THERMONUCLEAR WEAPONS HYDROGEN BOMBS EXPLOSIONS MEGATONS TONS OF TNT THE BOMB HIROSHIMA THE EQUIVALENT CAUGHT UP MEANWHILE BUILDING EFFECTIVE MISSILE THE ATLAS TITAN ICBMS BALLISTIC JUPITER THOR RANGE THE POLARIS SLBM LAUNCHED TECHNOLOGICAL LEAD ALWAYS APPEAR THE SOVIETS SPUTNIK THE WORLDS FIRST ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE SHOCKED THE AMERICAN SOVIET WEAPONS NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV NATIONS IN FACT STRATEGIC BALANCE AMERICAS PUBLIC THE EXISTENCE MISSILE GAP TURN EXPAND KENNEDYS PRESIDENCY SAW THE WORLD STAND ON THE BRINK NUCLEAR WAR CUBA MISSILE CRISIS OCTOBER 1962 WAKE DEFENCE SECRETARY ROBERT MCNAMARA STRATEGY ASSURED DESTRUCTION STABILITY COMPLETE DESTRUCTION BOTH SIDES NOTHING DONE NUCLEAR ATTACK SUFFER IDEA MUTUAL DETERRENCE DISPERSED FLEET ENOUGH SURVIVE RETALIATE SURPRISE BENEFIT KEEP RETAIN THUS LIMITS NUMBERS CRITICISM FUTURE PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN FELT DEFEATIST SHOULD WORK PEACE THREAT FEARED CIRCUMSTANCES WAR PERMANENTLY THE BEST INTENTIONS ACCIDENT MUST PUSH ARGUMENTS CAUSED ABILITY POSSESSION PERCEPTION RESOLVE OTHER SIDE BELIEVE IN ACTUALLY LAUNCH THE BEST DEATH AND DESTRUCTION WORLD WAS TO SMALLER THE WARS VIETNAM DETERRENCE STRATEGY THE QUESTION KENNEDY OPTION LAUNCHING LEARNED TO SURVIVE MIGHT BE OBVIOUSLY 1970S PEACE RESEARCH STOCKHOLM INTERNATIONAL PEACE RESEARCH REPORTING WEAPONRY EXTERMINATE SAME TIME CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE RAPID DISEASES ANTHRAX GLANDERS KILL VIRTUALLY EVERYONE BIOLOGICAL AGENTS TARGET LIVESTOCK CROPS CAUSE RISKS EPIDEMIC INHERENT HORRORS STRATEGIC ARMS LIMITATION AGREEMENT GREATER THE MORE THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES BATTLEFIELD NUCLEAR WEAPONS LIMITED NUCLEAR ENGAGEMENT LESS THAN 1950S THE UNITED STATES ARMY UNDERTOOK MILITARY EXERCISES OPERATIONS SAGE BRUSH CARTE BLANCHE BE USED TO WEST GERMANY THE CONCLUSION REACHED MIGHT CEASED GENERALLY ACCEPTED THE CONCEPT VICTORY DEVELOPED PESSIMISM WAR WORLD SUFFERING NUCLEAR FALLOUT FAMINE THE SURVIVORS ENVY STEPS EASE SHAKEN DISASTER KHRUSHCHEV HOTLINE REALITY TELETYPE THE WHITEHOUSE THE KREMLIN DIFFUSE PARTIAL TEST BAN TREATY MOVING SOMETHING REDUCE ATMOSPHERIC RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION FROM TO STATION NUCLEAR MISSILES SPACE NEITHER TECHNOLOGY TO DO ANYWAY ALREADY GAINING NON PROLIFERATION TREATY THE DESIRE BUILD INTERNATIONAL INSPECTION POWERS DISARM NORTH PAKISTAN REFUSED SIGN SUBSEQUENTLY SOON BEGIN REGIONAL SOLID AGREEMENT BETWEEN PROTAGONISTS LIMITING PRESIDENT EISENHOWER OPEN SKIES BE FREE MILITARY BASES VERIFICATION ARMS CONTROL AGREEMENT AIRCRAFT ATTEMPT LEGITIMISE SPYING COMPLIANCE MORAL SUPERIORITY THE OTHER SIDE OUTRAGE GOOD INTENTIONS SIMPLY BROKEN ACCIDENTS WARHEADS LOST AT SEA 1960S DEVELOPMENT WHATEVER SYSTEM INTERCEPT INFANCY TEMPT LEADER GAMBLE SURVIVING SURE THE OTHER SOPHISTICATED RADAR SYSTEMS HUGE PROMISED SURGE CONSTRUCTING SWAMP THE ENEMY THEREFORE US PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON SOVIET PREMIER ALEXEY KOSYGIN WERE READY OPEN POSITION CONTINUE EASY NEGOTIATORS DUTY OFFENSIVE WEAPONS FIVE YEARS NEGOTIATE FIRST STRATEGIC ARMS LIMIT THEMSELVES IN EXISTENCE REDUCED CHOSE ICBM SUBMARINES STEP FORWARD THE AGREEMENT INTRODUC