American Decades

The Arms Race.

After World War II the United States and the Soviet Union began a nuclear arms race that continued unabated throughout the 1960s. For most of the 1950s both countries concentrated on manufacturing atomic and hydrogen bombs and the intercontinental bomber force necessary to deliver them. Both countries also developed short-range and intermediate-range missiles that could be armed with nuclear warheads, as well as nuclear weapons to be used on the battlefield.

The Space Race.

The 5 October 1957 launch by the Soviet Union of Sputnik, the first man-made satellite to orbit the earth, dramatically changed the arms race. Re-acting with shock and embarrassment, the Americans rushed to launch their own satellites. Throughout the 1960s the United States and the Soviets competed to see which country could be the first to demonstrate a particular feat in space. On 25 May 1961 President Kennedy announced a...