Significants Of Soviet Unions First Atomic Bomb Essay, Research Paper

In 1949, the Soviet Union exploded their first atomic bomb. This event was so

significant because it began the great arms race. The arms race in effect was the beginning

of the Cold War. The events that led up to and followed the soviets first atomic bomb

changed the United States of America forever. Everything from the fear of Russia

launching a nuclear attach to paranoia of espionage.

Julius and Ethel Rosenburg fired up the C.I.A.?s paranoia of espionage. They were

both married and joined the Communist party in 1939. They later dropped out so they

would be able to help their party in 1942. They did this so they could get jobs at U.S.

Army Signal Corps. This is were they got their information that they gave to the Soviet

Union. They apparently passed on classified info on the construction of the atomic bomb.

Info that would have taken the Soviet Union many more years to learn on their own.

The explosion of the first atomic bomb by Russia started an arms race between the

Soviets and the United States. This was a time when the Soviets and Americans where

trying to out due each other in the production of defensive or offensive weapons. Each

one tried to come out with bigger bader weapons than what the other had. Most people

blame the race on the U.S. but the threat of a Soviet attach was very real. Therefore the

U.S. is intitled to outdo them any way they can.

The cold war was then brought about. The cold war reached its peak in the

1960?s, when an American U-2 spy plane got photos of Soviet missle sites in Cuba. When

this was discovered. The fear of an nuclear war became feared. America was hanging by

a sting on wheather or not they should act or not. Never the less the Soviets wussied out

and pulled out of Cuba.

Even today a nuclear attach is still present, weather it be from Russia or China.

Americans today feel as though it cant happen, but it still can. I recently read in a news

paper that if America were to continue with their Star Wars program, that it cause another

arms race. So, now how safe do you feel? Casey Ganoung