Nuclear weaponsIn 1949 the Russians successfully did a test with an atom bomb. The Americans were shocked because that meant that they were not the only country who had nuclear weapons to use in a potential war.
The USA reacted to this threat to have a nuclear plan for civilians. Which included the build of nuclear shelters and the children learned in school that if the air horn went of they had to duck under the tables. Both the USA and the Soviet Union were afraid of each other because if they had not the best weapons to beat each other. This resulted into a nuclear weapon race also known as the arms race. They also knew from each other that if one started a war the other could react to it within seconds. This meant the situation was really tense. |
Assignment 09During the Cold War the United States had a nuclear evacuation plan that was taught at schools. The school children were told to hide under their desks if a nuclear bomb would go off and their parents made nuclear shelters under their homes.
Now imagine you are living in the 1960s and you are told to come up with an evacuation plan. Make a leaflet saying what you have to do in case of a nuclear bomb attack. |
CubaOn 14 October 1962, a US spy plane flew over Cuba, returning with photos showing that Soviet missiles that could carry nuclear warheads were on the island. For the first time in history, the United States was in range of a nuclear attack. A debate followed about how the United States should react to that. The United States decided to order a naval blockade of Cuba. This decision was made on 22 October after days of discussion and negotiations with the Soviet Union.
On 24 October, 16 of the Soviet Union's ships turned back; three sailed up to the blockade line if they had crossed the line this would have started war between the Soviet Union and the United States. Only two days later the Soviet Union offered to withdraw the missiles from Cuba in return for a promise that the USA would not invade. On 27 October president Kennedy accepted the offer. The following day, the Soviet Union agreed to remove its missiles. War had been avoided. The Soviet ships turned round and went home. |