The Arms Race and How it Changed the United States of America

“The Evil Empire” — that is what, at the height of the arms race, United States President Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union (Rudolph 1). Unsurprisingly, the Soviet Union was similarly upset at the United States. This anger is what fueled the arms race. During the Cold War, due to fears of nuclear attack, the US and Soviet Union designed and deployed thousands of nuclear warheads, each hoping to deter the other from nuclear launch with threat of counter attack (O’Neal 1). This massive arms buildup, however, had many negative effects on the US. To recognize the impact that the arms race continues to have on today, it is crucial to understand not only its causes, but also its immediate impacts on the US economy, society, foreign policy, environment, and technological development, as well as its long-term impact on US international security, policy, power, and arms sales.

To realize the impact of the arms race today, it is important to first understand the causes of the arms race. The Cold war began shortly after WWII, lasting from 1945-1991 (Rudolph 1). It began when the wartime alliance of the United States and Soviet Union fell apart due the absence of the mutual dependence that created the need for cooperation (Snead 1). One of the main goals or policies during the Cold War dictated that the US do anything possible to “contain” the spread of communism. (Rudolph 1). The US desired to contain communism due to fears over the Soviet Union and consequently communism in general becoming powerful enough to challenge democracy, possibly overthrowing it. The containment policy started with the Truman Doctrine in 1947. At this point, the world divided, with most countries siding with either the Soviet Union or the US (Snead...

... middle of paper ...

...America. Ed. Singleton Carl. 3 vols. Salem Press,

1999. Salem History Web. 14 Mar. 2014.

Cooper, Mary H. "Arms Sales." CQ Researcher 9 Dec. 1994: 1081-104. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

"General Overview of the Effects of Nuclear Testing." : CTBTO Preparatory Commission.

CTBTO, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

O'neal, Michael J. "Russian Nuclear Materials, Security Issues." Encyclopedia of Espionage,

Intelligence and Security. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Vol. 3. Detroit:

Gale, 2004. 31-33. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.

Rudolph, Joseph R. "Cold War." The Eighties in America. Ed. Berman Milton. 3 vols. Salem

Press, 2008. Salem History Web. 14 Mar. 2014.

Snead, David L. "Cold War." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 2.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 266-270. World History in Context. Web. 14

Mar. 2014.