This power point presentation summarizes the nuclear arms race that occurred between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War. It details some of the key events and tests conducted by both countries in their pursuit to develop more advanced nuclear weapons, including the US dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. It also discusses other countries like the UK, France, and China developing their own nuclear weapons programs during this period and concludes with the Cuban Missile Crisis bringing the US and Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war.

1. Power Point Presentation
By
V. MURUGAN
Assistant Professor of History,
Vivekananda College,
Tiruvedakam West,
Madurai District.

2. Nuclear ArmsRace

3. Introduction
 An arms race competition
For supremacy in nuclear warfare
Between the United States, the Soviet Union and their
respective allies
During the cold war.

4. First Nuclear weapon
The first Nuclear Weapon was created by the USA.
During the Second World War.
In August 1945, on Truman’s orders
Two atomic bombs were dropped on Japanese Cities.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki

5. United Nations Atomic Energy Commission
was created.
To eliminate the use of all nuclear weapons.
The USA proposed Baruch Plan.
There should be an International authority
That controls all dangerous atomic activities.
The USSR disagreed with this plan and rejected
it.
The USSR proposed universal nuclear
disarmament.
Both the USA and the USSR’s plans were
refused by the UN.
The USA had a monopoly on specific knowledge
of and raw materials for nuclear weaponry.

6. Operation Crossroads
Six months after the UN General Assembly.
First post-war Nuclear Test of the USA.
The purpose was to test the effectiveness of nuclear explosion on ships.
Test were performed at Bikini Atoll.
Bikini Atoll – a coral reef in the Marshall Islands.
It consists of 23 Islands.
Located in the Pacific Ocean.
Tested on 95 ships.
Including German and Japanese Ships.
That were captured during the Second World War.

7. First Lightning
Behind the scenes, the Soviet government was working
On building its own atomic weapons.
On August 29, 1949 – first Soviet bomb was detonated.
Shocking the entire world.
The Bomb named as – First Lightning.

8. Ivy Mike
Both the governments spent massive amounts
To increase the quality and quantity of their
nuclear arsenals.
On November 1, 1952 – First Hydrogen bomb
was detonated by the USA
On Enewetak – Pacific Ocean.
It was named as “Ivy Mike”
It created a cloud 100 miles wide and 25 miles
high.
Killed all life on the surrounding Islands.

9. Castle Bravo Test
On March 1, 1954, the USA conducted the Castle Bravo test.
Another Hydrogen Bomb on Bikini Atoll.
Scientists underestimated the size of the bomb.
They thought that it would yield 5 megatons.
However, it yielded 14.8 megatons.
It is the largest nuclear explosion tested by the USA.

10. True
The Soviet Union detonated its first Hydrogen Bomb on November 22, 1955.
It was named as “True”.
It had yield of 1.6 megatons.
On October 30, 1961 – Soviet Union detonated another Hydrogen Bom.
It had yield of approximately 58 megatons.

11. Operation Hurricane
United Kingdom became the third nation to possess nuclear weapons.
It detonated an atomic bomb on October 3, 1952.
It was named as “Operation Hurricane”.
Which had a yield of 25 Kilotons.
The first successful hydrogen bomb test was conducted by the UK on November 8, 1957.
Which had a yield of 1.8 megatons.

12. Gerbois Bleue
France became the fourth nation to possess nuclear weapons.
It detonated the first atomic bomb on February 13, 1960 in Algeria.
France conducted its first Thermonuclear test above Fangatuafa Atoll.
It had a yield of 2.6 megatons.

13. The People’s Republic of China
It became the fifth nation to possess nuclear weapons.
On 16, October 1964 – detonated a 25 kiloton Uranium-235 bomb at Lop Nur.

14. Cuban Missile Crises
On October 14, 1962, the Soviet Union placed
Nuclear Ballistic Missiles on Cuban Soil.
An American spy plane discovered these nuclear
missile sites under construction in Cuba.
President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade aro
Eventually on October 28, 1962 – SU announced
the withdrawal of all nuclear missiles from Cuba.
The USA withdrew all their Nuclear missiles form
Turkey.