The Arms Race

1. Read Source 12. What methods do you think Dulles had in mind to 'liberate captive peoples' without a war?
Dulles may have been thinking of closing in tighter and tighter on the USSR - never actually sending armies against it, but creating more and more organizations to surround it and slowly strangle its power. Dulles may also have been referring to stockpiling nuclear weapons - surely there would be a point when the USSR would give in and admit that America simply had more bombs than they did.

2. Look at Source 13. Would you agree that the Communist world was encircled? Explain your answer.

The Communist world was not encircled, even with the visual proof of source 13. The Communist world was geographically encircled, yes, but that truly does not mean much. One cannot kill an idea with an army; the democratic world could not stop the spread of Communist ideas simply by locking down Communist leaders. The main Communist countries were surrounded by anti-Communist groups - there is no arguing that. However, ideas can pass straight through even the best miltary defenses; in a theoretical sense, the Communist world was not surrounded at all.

3. Carefully examine the verticle timeline on page 343. Then look back at Source 12. Do you think the development of nuclear weapons was what Dulles might have had in mind?

The development of nuclear weapons could certainly have been what Dulles had in mind. It allowed the US to flex its muscles without actually having to put them into use; in other words, nuclear development hoped to scare the Soviets away from ever attacking in the first place.

4. Look at Source 16. What is the Soviet cartoon saying about the U-2 plane?

The Soviet cartoon is marking the U-2 plane as an invasion of privacy. The U.S. at first denied that these planes were used for spying; this cartoon is implying that the planes were used to extend America's view into the USSR. The cartoon also seems to be saying that the use of such technology was unfair - the Soviets could do nothing to stop these planes from looking in on them without being downright aggresive, just as someone could not peacefully stop a stranger peering at them from across the street with a telescope.

5. Read the Factfile on page 344. Explain why the USSR was so angry about the US spy flights.

The USSR was angry at their privacy being invaded, when the U.S. condemned Soviet spying techniques within America. It did not help that the U.S. refused to apologize for the flights; it clearly did not help diplomatic negotiations, and the Soviets viewed it as a show of rudeness and stubborn behavior. Also, the U.S. was sending men onto their soil without Soviet consent - clearly not a peaceful gesture.

6. How would the USA justify this violation of Soviet territory?

The USA would justify this invasion of Soviet territory by pointing out the Soviet spies in America - the US was only looking out for its own interests! The US would also use the point that it was imperative for the US to stay on top of Soviet activity in order to prevent an attack on innocent civilians; it was a defensive method, not an offensive one.

7. If the USSR had had U-2 planes, do you think it would have used them? Why?

I do think that they would have used them. Even though they strongly condemned the US use of U-2 planes, that was simply because they did not have the technology to effectively retalitate. In times of war, morals often fly out the window. The USSR would most likely not have thought twice about using U-2 planes, if it would have given them an upper hand in the race to gather information.

8. Look at Source 17. Why do you think the USA had missiles based in Europe?

The USA most likely had missiles in Europe in order to be able to able to retaliate in minutes if the USSR was to launch missiles against the US. While missiles at sucha close proximity may have alarmed the Soviets, the US would have seen this as necessary. If the US kept all of its missiles within its own borders, it could take up to 30 minutes until a bomb struck back against the USSR; with missiles in Europe, the US could strike back within minutes.

9. Define the term 'nuclear deterrent' in not more than 20 words.

Nuclear deterrants are nuclear weapons that force the enemy into not launching their own weapons for fear of retaliation.