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What was the arms race?

The term arms race refers to the buildup of military weapons by the Soviet Union and the United States during the middle and late twentieth century. This competition, which involved efforts to dominate the world by creating nuclear weapons systems to deter other nations from initiating military conflict, began on August 29, 1949, when the Soviet Union tested an atomic bomb. Prior to this time, the United States was the only nation with the capacity to produce nuclear weapons.

Further Information: Kort, Michael G. The Cold War. Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook Press, 1994.

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