Sputnik The Cold War - 1602 Words

After World War II drew to a close in the mid-20th century, a new conflict began. Known as the Cold War, this battle involved the two world’s greatest powers the democratic and capitalist United States against the communist Soviet Union. Beginning later in the 1950s, space would eventually become another very dramatic arena for competition between the U.S and U.S.S.R, each side looked to prove the superiority of their own technology, along with its military firepower and of course their political-economic systems. Sputnik, name of the first of several artificial satellites launched by the Soviet Union from 1957 to 1961. Successfully launched and entered Earth s orbit. Thus, beginning the space age. The successful launch shocked the†¦show more content†¦The importance of this wartime alliance can viewed as abysmal or of no importance given the circumstances of how relations keep on their normal landslide of tension and complex post war decisions. Following World War II disputes between soviet and the Western democracies kicked up, particularly dealing with the fate of Eastern European states and the Soviets influential takeover. The communist takeover of Eastern Europe clashed with the democratic rebuilding of Western Europe forming what Winston Churchill described as a â€Å"Iron Curtain† a political, military and ideological barrier set by the Soviet Union served to set a metaphorical boundary between the Soviet expansion and the Western democracies. With the fall of the â€Å"Iron Curtain† â€Å"The Cold War was a period of East-West competition, tension, and conflict short of full-scale war, characterized by mutual perceptions of hostile intention between military-political alliances or blocs.† The Cold War was marked by a seemingly ever continuous rivalry between WWII allies in a geopolitical and ideological war, each nation focused on their own agenda in a clash of political and economic structure and views for the f uture of the world. For much of the second half of the 20th century the Cold War became a dominant influence on many aspects of American society. Cultural battles ensued between the superpowers had as much if not moreShow MoreRelatedThe Discovery Of The Sputnik1583 Words   |  7 PagesRory Stoddard CP US History 9 Ms. Hamburger The Sputnik Program Imagine a bowling ball weighing 187 pounds whizzing around the earth at around 18000 MPH, at this speed it would go around the earth in 96 minutes, this is Sputnik 1. In 1926, Robert Goddard revolutionized the industry, he had tested and successfully launched the first liquid fuel engine, altering the rocket industry forever. In 1942 the Germans developed the V2 rocket. The V2 was the world s firstRead MoreThe Space Race 792 Words   |  3 Pageshuman progress in a substantial manner, the general motive for the space race lies within the political aspect of society and the repercussions that came with the cold war. The space race is portrayed as a race between countries to control the world rather than a collective effort to explore and expand. At the time of the cold war, it was conceived that a strong space technological advancement period would increase the prestige of the United States. Scientific, technological, industrial and militaryRead MoreThe Space Race746 Words   |  3 Pagesafter World War II, the Soviet Union and United States began a global battle, communism against democracy. Space became a huge entity in the war. 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There were many times during the Cold War where the Soviet Union would have dramatic increases in scienceRead More The Space Race during the Cold War Essay1227 Words   |  5 PagesThe Space Race during the Cold War During the Cold War, the United States and Russia had a severe space race between one another. Every time one country would be a step ahead of the other, and somehow one of the countries would catch up to the more advanced country at the time. During the early years of the space race, success was measured by what nation did what first: To the alarm of the United States, each of the early adventures were achieved by the Soviet Union. And all of those events triggeredRead MoreThe World s First Space1489 Words   |  6 Pages1960s-After World War 2 a new conflict began. Known as the cold war it was between the United States and the Soviet Union. The war worked a way into everyday life for both countries. The arms race fueled the cold war and the growing threat of nuclear weapons. The space race continued when the Soviet Union launched the Soviet R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile launched Sputnik. The Soviet R-7 was the world’s first artificial satellite and the first man-ma de object to be placed into the Earth’sRead MorePros And Cons Of The Space Race1669 Words   |  7 Pagesspace race and who was involved? P, 3 o Nasa p. 4 o when did it occur p. 5 o COLD WAR p. 6 o pro’s and con’s p. 7 8 o Was it worthwile p. 9 o Bibliography Read MoreQuestions About the Cold War: Responses and Conceptions1047 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Cold War Introduction Right after the Japanese surrendered to the Allies, and after Hitlers Nazi regime had been defeated, there was a struggle between the U.S. (and democratic allies of the U.S.) and the Soviet Union for power and influence in the post-WWII world. This struggle was called the Cold War, and it entailed many events and a great deal of tension between the forces of communism and those of democracy. American diplomat George Kennan explained that the Soviet Union was †¦a politicalRead MoreKhrushchev s Influence On America1543 Words   |  7 PagesSecretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953-1964 and the Soviet Premier from 1958-1964, rose to power in the chaos after Stalin’s death. During his time as leader, Khrushchev took part in many events that defined the climate of the Cold War. In the Berlin Crisis, where a significant number of people were leaving East Berlin for West Berlin, Khrushchev played a key role by demanding Kennedy attend a meeting to discuss t he problem, and subsequently disrespecting the young president. LaterRead MoreNuclear Strategic Game Between The United States And The Soviet Union913 Words   |  4 Pagesancillary players After World War II, Stalin locked up all the countries along its western border behind, what Churchill came to call, an iron curtain. Russia had invested millions of lives to defeat in Germany in World War Two and felt entitled to a buffer zone against future invasion. Stalin was suspicious that the Marshall plan was a devious attempt to win back his hard won satellite states from the Soviet Union. The ideological battle lines of the Cold War were drawn by those European countries