Cold War (Space Race Didn't End)



The Cold War is a ongoing conflict between the United States of America which leads its NATO allies and its non-NATO friends against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its satellite states and allies. Its start is usually stated as being 1947 and is ongoing. It is called the Cold War because it has not resulted in direct armed conflict between the major powers. The major reason, often cited, for this is the numerous nuclear arsenals the two side possess, which would lead to Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD).

Their has been several armed conflicts between client states or ideological allies. The major conflicts include: the Korea War (1950-1953), the Vietnam War (1959-1979), the China Conflict (1979-2012), Iran- Afghanistan War (1979-1983), the Persian Gulf War (1991), the Korean War II (2003). While the Arms Race portion of the Cold War has slowed since 1970, the Space Race has been the driving force between the two superpowers. Fortunately, the two countries are now experiencing a period of Détente in the Space Race with several joint mission of exploration and their first research project (attempt at anti-matter production on Mercury) is in development.

1947-1953
The Cold War period is the period that started with the Truman Doctrine in 1947 to the conclusion of the Korean Conflict in 1953. The cold war started right after the end of World War II and lasted through most of the 20th century. It was during this early period of the Cold War that the United States started a policy of containment of the Soviet Union. To stop the expansion Soviet led communism, after Greece and Turkey both were threatened by communist takeover.

1953-1962
The death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1953 to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. This was a tense period but their was a thaw between the major players. Though their was unrest in the Eastern Block following Stalin death, there was a reduction of tension demostrated with the signing of the Austrian State Treaty that allowed Autria to reunite. As well as the Geneva Accords to end the fighting in Indochina. Despite these improvements the Arms race continued during these years, as the United States adopted a policy of massive retaliation and the Soviets a belief in Nuclear deterrence. The Cuban revolution also happened during this period, putting a Soviet ally in short distance to the United States.

1962-1969


This period is marked by Cuban Missile Crisis the most tense time in the Arms Race up till now, to the intensifing of the Space Race. During this time the United States had a President (Kennedy) call on America to go to the moon by decade's end. It is also during this time that the American efforts in Vietnam intensified and Soviet leadership in internation socialism is challenged with their split with China in.

1970-1980
During this time the cold war started to change its focus from a mostly Arms Race to one that focused on space exploration. After the successful landing on the moon by the United States and the Soviet Union first launch of a super-heavy rocket booster. The Soviet Union had started to intensify their own space efforts years earlier with the collaboration of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev and Vladimir Chelomey but it was not untill 1969 that there was a major budgetary change. The Nixon Administration out of fear of a all-out Soviet space effort would leave the United States behind, started to call on congress to increase America's Space budget.

The Soviet Plan -Space for socialism
The Soviet under the Brezhnev had just years earlier saw the Brezhnev Doctrine outlined as a foriegn policy and it stated: ''When forces that are hostile to socialism try to turn the development of some socialist country towards capitalism it becomes not only a problem of the country concerned, but a common problem and concern of all socialist countries. ''The policy was used to justified the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and to put down the Hungarian uprisings in 1956. However, the decision to engage the United States in an attempt to become a space power required a re-evaluation of this policy. Brezhnev which continued to allow Korolyov to speed up development of the Soviet space progam, had become under internal scutiny for what seemed as abandonment of the Revolution. The Soviet had up this point show space as a military needed area and for its propaganda value. But Brehnev gambled that by refocusing the Cold War from an expensive Arms Race that had little promise for the future of solialism but war with the United States to the Space Race in which they were a leader in would allow them to show-off their abilities and therefore spread solialism.

The Soviets quickly put together an international plan that would start to train non-Russian cosmonauts and in later years citizens of countries that are sympathetic toward socialism.

America's Reponse- We can not fall in behind in space again
Leonid brehnev early 1969, "the American think of this Space Race as if it is a foot race... one moon, one destination... but we see a moon, the asteroid belt and 8 other planets, therefore, it is not a foot race but a Decathlon and we will win the race!!", It has been said that this statement more then anything else affected President Nixon in his concern with the Soviets in regards to the space race.

Arms Race
President Nixon initiates a policy of Detente with the Soviet Union. It quickly leads to the SALT I Treaty to reduce nuclear warheads.

The USSR starts to scrap some of its ICBM's for parts in support of it various space operations. The move seen by many as desperation is, by many others, seen as brilliant as it saves them billions in maintenance costs from these idle rockets. The USA copies this move and will rely on its bomber or submarine force if a war were to break out