The Cold War was a period of tension and hostility between the United States of America and the Soviet Union from the 1945 to the late 1989. It was called the Cold War because there was no active war between the two nations. The cold war was simply an exchange of words and threats by the United States in an attempt to promote their ideologies of democracy and by the Soviet Union to promote communism all over the world. This period brought about a lot of competitions and rivalry to the two nations.
These two rival nations sought to be recognized as the super power nations of the world. They developed nuclear weapons and missiles increasing fear across the world of possible mass destruction. This was euphemistically termed “Assured Destruction”. With this context in mind, came the idea of space race which had many direct and indirect purposes. As an extension of the Cold War, in its most basic context, the Space Race was a race not only to be the first country to successfully explore outer space, but also to be the first to ultimately control other planets and therefore dominate not only the world as most people know it, but the entire universe and all of the other planets in it. Being able to control all of this would likely settle the rivalry that defined the Cold War.
Although, it was a cold war period for the United States and Soviet Union, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Cuban diplomacy were backed by these two super power nations. Weapons of war and mass destruction, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles and hydrogen bombs, were stockpiled by both nations.
Political Struggles
By Lori R.
Global tensions existed in surplus amounts during the Cold War. The Cold War refers to the era following World War II, roughly between1945 to 1989. The war was not fought through direct military confrontations, but existed as a series of continuous political struggles and economic competitions between the United States and the Soviet Union. While these two countries are definitely the most prominent figures, the conflict also included many other countries across the globe. Most western countries sided with United States and practiced democratic political governments. Eastern countries sided with the Soviet Union and practiced communist forms of government. Other countries attempted to remain neutral, creating a third side which was always targeted for recruitment by the two opposing sides. Many International conflicts came out of the competitions of the Cold War. The Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis are all examples of the direct impact of the tensions between the United States and the Soviet.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/cold_war.htm. Retrieved March 01, 2011
In 1952, the Olympic competition was not spared from this effect of the cold war.
The Olympics and the Cold War
By Teila H.
The Olympics have been a way for athletes all over the world to compete and prove they are athletically superior. It is considered a time when countries and athletes can come together to engage in “friendly competition.” Though, it has not always been that way between the United States and the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union began participating in the Olympics in the 1952 Helsinki games, they brought with them a political influence the Olympic leaders were trying to avoid (Cold War Olympics). Medal Counts became important to the Soviet Union, as they believed this would exhibit the supremacy of the communist system (Cold War Olympics). In addition to counting medals, the Soviet Union refused lodging with other nations in the Olympic village. They enclosed their own accommodations with barbed wire and absolutely no one was welcome in the Soviet camp. Even news reporters, nationality aside, were not allowed to enter (Cold War Olympics). The boycott of the 1980 Olympics is hailed as one of the biggest boycotts in Olympic history. Led by President Jimmy Carter, the United States and sixty other countries boycotted the Olympics because of the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union (Guttmann, Allen 1988). From 1952 to 1988, the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States was known as the main dramatic aspect of modern Olympics (Allen Guttmann).
“Cold War Olympics” American Decades. 2001. Retrieved on March 1, 2011 from Encyclopedia.com
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3468302131.html
Guttmann, Allen, International Journal,1988 “The Cold War and the Olympics”, Vol .43, No. 4 pp. 554
568 Published by: Canadian International Council. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40202563
Retrieved on February 26, 2011
Sports Illustrated. “The Soviet Boycott”. May 21, 1984 Volume 60, issue 20.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/featured/8904/index.htm Retrieved on February
28, 2011
As the cold war continued, in 1955, United States of America and Soviet Union in their struggle for recognition as the world’s super power nations were involved in various technological competitions.
First Satellites in Space
By Keely C.
The space race between the US and the Soviet Union began with one single event, the launching of Sputnik 1 on October 4. 1957. Sputnik was an artificial satellite about the size of a beach ball that emitted beeping noises while it orbited Earth. These noises were heard through radio stations and cased a panic with the American public. However, this was not the only satellite the Soviet Union would launch. One month later, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik II, carrying a heavier payload than the original and a small dog named Laika.
American feared the Soviets had the ability to launch nuclear warfare upon the United States from Europe. The United States responded with the launch of Explorer 1, which would discover the Van Allen Radiation Belts around Earth. This was the “first major scientific discovery of the space age” (National Air and Space Museum: Milestones of Flight).
The Soviet launch of Sputnik 1 was directly related to the creation of NASA. President Eisenhower felt as though our only problem was not having adequate numbers of American scientists and engineers, so he began increasing funds for education and research. Over the next several years, the United States and the Soviet Union would continue to explore outer space to determine who would reign supreme in space exploration.
Sources:
Garber, Steve. October 10, 2007. Sputnik and the Dawn of the Space Age. NASA.
Retrieved March 1, 2011, from http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik
Siddiqi, Asif. 2007. Sputnik: A history of the Beginning of Space. Retrieved March 5, 2011 from
http://faculty.fordham.edu/siddiqi/sws/sputnik/sputnik/html
Milestones of Flight. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved March 1,
2011, from http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal100/sputnik.html
Milestones of Flight. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved March 1,
2011, from www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal100/exp1.html
Timeline of Space Exploration. TheSpaceRace.com. (2001-2009. Retrieved March 1,
2011, from http://www.thespacerace.com/timeline
Copyright 2007 Asif Siddiqi
Explorer 1
By D. Penfield
Smithsonian Institution
Between 1957-1959, the Cold War became more technologically competitive in the space race.
Engineering feats
By Karen D.
The Space Race between the USSR and USA led to technological advances that changed the world. The US Department of Defense and NASA, along with major US defense contractors, worked together to develop turbojet engines, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), nuclear power, and guided missile cruisers. They developed satellites which could be used for weather observation and world-wide communications. Advances in engine design increased the capability of helicopters. The arming of ICBMs with nuclear warheads initiated the arms race and started the development of antimissile defense systems. Other engineering feats which began at the time of the cold war were passenger jet services and the development of “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation” (lasers).
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Timeline/1955-57.html http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Timeline/1958.html
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Timeline/1959.html
http://www.nps.gov/archive/mimi/history/srs/history.htm
All Retrieved March, 2, 2011
By 1958, the cold war did not just engage the two competing nations in technological and engineering feat but also in Music and talent competitions such as chess matches.
Competition Between Allies During the Cold War
By Maria S.
Although the United States and Soviet Union are allies, there has been fierce competition between the two, especially in the area of space exploration. So who was at the finishing line first when discussing the Space Race? The Soviet Union was first to send a man into space, while the United States was first to land a man on the moon. The USSR was first to send an artificial satellite into space, while the United States was first to send a commercial satellite into space. Both countries could easily claim they were first to cross the finish line. However, each nation contributed significantly to the advances in education and science through space exploration.
The arms race was another competition between the Soviet Union and the United States, particularly with weapons of mass destruction. The goal of each country was to have the largest reserves of these weapons, as well as the best quality.
Although today these countries work together in combating the war against terrorism, they were once competitors vying for top honors in exploring the unknown beyond Planet Earth.
Van Cliburn, an American pianist born in Shreveport, Louisiana, won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958, at the height of the cold war. Unexpectedly, he was shown exceptional hospitality by the Soviets. The USSR was hesitant to award this honor to an American, but realizing his talent, the Soviets agreed he was deserving of this achievement. After his win, Van Cliburn became an unofficial diplomat to the Soviet Union, as well as a worldwide musical icon. Because of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was born. This competition is held in Forth Worth, Texas every four years, during the presidential inaugural year. It is looked upon as one of the world’s finest musical events.
Overall, competition between these two allies proved to be fruitful. Each country has provided varying viewpoints and ideas, contributing to the accomplishments seen today.
http://www.cliburn.org/index.php?page=van_cliburn_biography
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jnscales/Portfolio/HOS%20Paper.pdf
The successful launching of satellite in space by the Soviet Union caused a growing fear of the possibility of the Soviet Union launching a nuclear bomb toward the United States and the world as a whole.
John Glenn Orbits the Earth
By Penny E.
Soon after the Soviets had the rocket power to propel a satellite into space, President Eisenhower wondered how long it would be before they were capable of launching a nuclear bomb toward the United States. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was more concerned about the United States security than its self-esteem. In response to this perceived Soviet threat, Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into being on July 29, 1958. One of the first assignments given to the new agency was to launch a man into space and return him safely to earth. Project Mercury was created on that fall to fulfill that exciting and challenging task. NASA began searching for pilots to participate in its suborbital and orbital program. On April 9, 1959, NASA introduced their seven test pilots who they hoped would carry the U.S. banner to the heavens.
On February 20, 1962, United States launched its first manned orbital flight. This mission helped launch the United States deeper into a space race with the former Soviet Union, which scored another technological coup. On April 2, 1961, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly in space, orbiting the earth once during his one hour, forty-eight minute flight, which came just three months after a U.S. Redstone rocket had carried a chimp named Ham into space and brought him safely back. Although equipment malfunctions, improvements, and weather caused some delays, John Glenn successfully piloted Mercury-Atlas 6 Friendship 7 spacecraft from Cape Canaveral (renamed Kennedy) and made America's first orbital flight. Unlike Soviet Cosmonaut Gherman Titov, who had experienced nausea and dizziness during his recent 16-orbit flight, Glenn worked and ate without difficulty in the weightless environment of 9 1/2-by-6-foot space capsule he called Friendship 7. Glenn's orbital flight lasted 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/space/friendship7/orbiting_earth.htm
John H. Glenn, Jr, Former Astronaut, Former Senator, American Hero. First American to Orbit Earth. http://space.about.com/cs/formerastronauts/a/glennbio.htm
John Glenn: First American to Orbit the Earth http://www.historynet.com/john-glenn-first-american-to-orbit-the-earth.htm
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) utilized its resources and manpower to take the competition to the height that concluded the space race.
The Space Race is Over
By Robin T.
You can never achieve the impossible if you never dream the impossible. It was 1961 and President Kennedy had a vision of men walking on the moon; however he would not live to see his vision become a reality. Despite President Kennedy’s assassination in 1961, a new hope emerged that someday a man would walk on the moon.
On July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon. Alongside Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong would take the famous moon walk changing the course of history and winning the Space Race against the Soviet Union. In the Sea of Tranquility, these two men place American flag on the moon with a sign that reads, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind” (NASA).
They also left the Apollo 11 lunar laser ranging retroreflector array that is a 2 foot panel covered in mirrors. This is the only original experiment that is still being used implemented by Apollo 11. Its purpose is to measure the exactly distance between the earth and the moon. Every action of the past truly affects the actions of today.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/21jul_llr/
http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of-the-President.aspx
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/first-person-on-moon.html
From launching the first satellites to putting a man on the moon, the former Soviet Union and the United States have laid the foundation together for future generations to explore the realms beyond Mother Earth. The Space Race pioneered the lead on research, technological and scientific advancements we enjoy in the modern world.
