Essay on American Technological Advancements and the Cold War

When the world famous liberal thinker Francis Fukuyama in his masterpiece declared that we were witnessing the end of the history, he was greeting the new political structure and also the new international environment, which is peaceful[1]. However, developments that occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union showed us that the dissolution of the Soviets was unexpected. The international society was not ready for peace and Fukuyama’s optimistic assumptions were far from becoming real. Moreover, the international society currently started to realise that the tension and the potential of mass destructive war during the Cold War era had provided a

During the middle 1940s there was a lot going on in the world. This includes World War two coming to an end after the United States use of the atomic bomb on Japan, most of Europe in shambles from battles and the Russia or now called Soviet Union (USSR) turning to communism. One may think how technology could advance at such a time. Well during war a lot of pressure is put on countries to supply resources. These resources are very expensive and force citizens not going off to fight in the war to work and help supply for the war. This can also have positive effects on the economic and technological development of these countries. Wars are expensive but they do accelerate technological advancements/developments to solve specific military needs. These devices are then later implied for everyday use. The cold war is a great example of this even know there was no physical war. The science and technology that was discovered during the cold war has primarily helped drive technology to where it is today.

The Cold War was a pivotal time in American history. To a greater degree than most other wars, the Cold War affected American society in unfathomable and profound ways. More specifically, American culture transformed immensely during this time. From a constant state of anxiety, to changes in media and the arts, to McCarthyism; the Cold War fervently affected the quality of life, personal expression, and American politics. Predominantly, the Cold War inflicted fear and apprehension within the American people that was so overpowering that it affected every aspect of their lives and overall American culture.

President Kennedy came to office with warnings of a missile gap. The Soviets had achieved or were achieving a significant advantage in strategic nuclear weapons. Though tensions ran even higher, "Eisenhower’s strategy of massive retaliation made little sense and did not account for the rapidly growing Soviet nuclear arsenal4. Kennedy's nuclear strategy became known as flexible response. The idea was to acquire the military forces that could deal flexibility with varying levels of Soviet Aggression3. The most serious confrontation between Russia and the US was the Cuban Missile Crisis. (Link to Stephanie's page) Soviet leader Khrushchev attempted to place intermediate range missiles in Cuba. Kennedy responded by imposing a quarantine on Cuba. This resulted in the removal of the Soviet missiles and led to Kennedy making the decision to dismantle U.S. missiles based in Turkey. Some analysts argue that the successful outcome was due to the United States’ nuclear superiority, which proved that strategic superiority offered important political advantages5.

The technology of World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, was a big part of the determination of the outcome of the war. Much of the technology was developed during the interwar years. Some of it was developed because of failure and hindrance in war progression, obviously because of inefficient technology. Still some was in the beginning stages of development as the war ended. Though earlier war greatly utilized science, mathematics, and innovation, World War II had the largest impact on the innovation in technology of the current lives of Americans. Furthermore, no war, preceeding or succeeding, was as profoundly affected by science, mathematics, and technology as World War II. Science and technology have always made

John Foster Dulles, Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, reported in June 1954 that the possible spread of communism into South America could be absolutely detrimental and devastating to the United States (Doc B). Though Dulles is rallying the American people to the cause of containment, he is also making them realize that the expansion of communism is right at their footsteps, intensifying fears in the long run. And while increased defense spending and better protection may cause Americans to feel safer, the new modernized era of intercontinental ballistic missiles would change the face of foreign policy, homeland security, and national safety forever. A 1958 Washington Post cartoon ridiculing the grand commitment to missile programs during the Cold War brings to light the public and governmental “hysteria” pertaining the looming missile race (Doc F). The cartoon emphasizes on the lack of government focus on other things like welfare programs, civilian services, and space development, which can be linked to the launching of the Sputnik satellite in 1957. When Eisenhower left office and John F. Kennedy became president in 1961, Kennedy gave a tantamount inaugural address in which he underscored the new missile race and missile program focus that the United States had taken on in the previous

The Cold War was a competition. The US and the Soviet Union raced to become the world’s number one superpower, building up their militaries, improving their arsenals, and developing more advanced weapons. However, weapons in the war were not limited to only nuclear warheads. The weapons used in the Cold War were nuclear warheads, and hope and terror caused by propaganda.

Ronald Reagan created a Strategic Defense Initiative that was intended to defend the United States from any nuclear weapon missile threat from other countries. This was proposed mainly to protect the U.S. from its extent threat, which was the Soviet Union at the time. Reagan wrote down in his diary addressing his Evil Empire Speech, “I did the bulk of the speech on why our arms build up was necessary and then finished with a call to the Science community to join me in research starting now to develop a defensive weapon that

The speed of technological development during the Cold War was unprecedented. Both sides utilized thousands of scientists and spent millions of dollars developing new technologies. With this development came new military weaponry for both sides. For example, both the US and Soviet Union produced vasts amounts of missiles. The US

In 1961 President John F Kennedy put together a doctrine, which altered from President Eisenhower’s one. It was to “Respond flexibly to communist expansion, especially guerrilla warfare.” (Roskin & Berry, 2010, p. 58) It was a time when the Cold War was at its height and nuclear weapons a mass threat and source of power. This doctrine was aimed at using alternative means before opening into combat. This, in light of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, it succeeded in doing.

The Strategic Defense Initiative, nicknamed “Star Wars”, was a government program enacted by Ronald Reagan. The name “Star Wars” was given to the program because of the farfetched ideas including lasers, and it was because of the science fiction movie that was popular then named “Star Wars”. The overall goal of the project was to make a defense system to protect from Soviet ballistic missile attacks against the US. The US felt threatened during this time (Cold War) and wanted to insure safety. Although the program was still new, it was abandoned shortly after and was almost forgotten about. This was because of budget problems and influence by political pressure. Even though the cost to start a project like this is very expensive, the star

In March 23, 1983, elected President Ronald Reagan created SID, Strategic Defense Initiative. The Newspapers called this strategy Star Wars. ( lecture 5/26) Reagan Stars War plan was to prevent nuclear war from happening by placing a laser in space to neutralize any nuclear missiles. Both Russia and The United States Understood that nuclear war would be Mutual Assured Destruction. ( lecture 5/26) The elected leader of Russia, Gorbachev saw SID as a direct threat to his nation and believed SID was a cover up for a larger U.S missile. Gorbachev further inquiry that SID was a violation

Following the end of World War Two (WWII), the United States as well as much of the western world was thrust into the escalating crisis which came to be known as the Cold War. As this new threat emerged looming over the United States and its NATO

The advent of high-altitude reconnaissance, to include aerial and satellite platforms, had at least as much impact on US intelligence efforts as the Ultra SIGINT intelligence program had on Allied intelligence efforts during World War II - possibly even greater. The “Iron Curtain” of the Cold War served to not only keep people in, but prevent almost any attempted penetration by Western intelligence agencies. Western powers knew the Soviet Union had ambitions to spread communism to neighboring nations and intended to do what they could to minimize and contain the communist swell. In order to succeed, the United States would have to better understand Soviet intentions and capabilities as well as deter the Soviet threat through military posture.

The following year Vietnam is split at the seventeenth parallel to combat Communism. Three years later in 1957 the Russian Sputnik is launched into orbit marking the start of the Space Race between United States and Soviet Union. In January of 1959, Cuba is taken over by Fidel Castro. In April 1961, the Bay of Pigs Invasion becomes a mistake by America and the relations between Cuba, Soviet Union, and the United States falls apart. Few months later in August, the Berlin Wall begins construction, marking the separation of Communism and Democracy in Berlin, Germany. The following year in 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis almost starts a war between the Soviet Union and United States, while United States involvement in Vietnam is increased. (3)