Preview

How Did The Cold War Change

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1369 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Did The Cold War Change
On December 25, 1991, the Soviet Union flag lowered for the last time. With the lowering of the flag, Mikhail Gorbachev resigns from the post of President. As changes are occurring from Gorbachev’s steady hand, people all around the world watched in disbelief as the Soviet
Union was split into separate nations peacefully. These changes could not have transpired without the revolution that Gorbachev brought forward. His reform efforts would be the eventual catalyst towards demanded freedom from Eastern Europe and Yeltsin’s demands of ”democratization and rapid economic changes”. The end of the Cold War led to the Soviet Union’s collapse which happened because of Mikhail Gorbachev and his reform changes.
The Cold War was a long and brutal battle.
…show more content…
In addition, the Americans thought “it was crucial not to lose too much ground to the Soviets” (“Cold War”) and so in retaliation launched their first satellite, Explorer I. The battles in the Space Race were constantly being won by the Soviet. During April 1969, they launched the first man into space, years before the Americans. However, the Space Race was neatly won by the Americans as on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. This victory caused a certain effect on the perception of both Americans and Soviets. Americans were viewed as heroes and Soviets were viewed as villains for trying to beat America. However, before the Space Race was won by the Americans, there was another big event that happened. On August 5, 1963, the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union all signed the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The treaty “prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons in outer space, underwater or in the atmosphere, “ (“Nuclear Test Ban Treaty”) This was the first step towards improving relations between the United States and the Soviet

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    By 1959 the U.S. began to grow more sure that the Soviets would be the first to send someone into space and they were right. As the Soviet flight technology was…

    • 1319 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Space Race was the closets the United States has come to losing it superpower title to other nations. The Space race was a twelve-year competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to explore the Solar System. This race began on October 4, 1957 when the Soviet Union deployed an artificial satellite called, Sputnik to orbit in space. Sputnik created a sense of fear in the United States that the Soviet Union had “reached the heavens” with the use of technological advancements. The President of the Soviet Union, Khrushchev used Sputnik as a symbol of how powerful “social superiority” was in comparison to capitalism. On January 31, 1958, the United States launched a satellite into orbit called, Explorer 1. Explorer 1 collected…

    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1991, when Boris Yeltsin seized the power and the Belavezha Accords were signed, the decision to disband the Soviet Union had been made and supported by the governments of Ukraine and Belarus. On December 12, 1991 Russia’s secession from the Union was sealed, the Belavezha Accords were ratified and the 1922 treaty on the creation of the Soviet Union was denounced. It had been a long road, and arguably it was predictable. It was finally time for change.…

    • 1222 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The nation was created with poor decisions and dishonesty that throughout the years led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev’s decision to give more power to the people and how open elections which was similar to what was seen in a democratic government which began a slow process of democratization that destabilized Communist control. After 1990 elections, Gorbachev was faced with many political pressures which in turn sped up the process of his resignation. On December 25, 1991, the Soviet flag was taken down and replaced by the Russian flag that flies today. Gorbachev resigned as president and on December 26, 1991, The Soviet Union…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Space Race was considered an informal competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to see who could make the furthest advancements into space first. The Space Race involved exploring outer space with satellites and sending men to the Moon and bringing them back safely. The Space Race effectively began on October 1, 1957 when the Soviets launched the first ever manmade satellite, Sputnik. The Space Race was considered an analogy to the arms race that was going on at the same time. The Space Race eventually became an important part in the technological, ideological and social differences between the United Sates and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Understanding the history of Neil Armstrong’s Moon walk is not complete without reference to the Cold War and the Soviet space achievements which ran parallel to those of the United States. The Cold War was the catalyst that would turn the highly speculative and romanticized vision of space travel into an unquestionable reality. Competition between the United States and the Soviet Union was fierce. The two world superpowers were engaged in a race to see who would be able to successfully send their men to walk across the surface of the Moon first. The USSR’s launch of the Sputnik sattellite, and Laika the dog in 1957 marked the beginnings of the Space Race. The U.S. quickly countered in 1958 by sending satellites of it’s own, the Explorer and Vanguard and organizing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In effect, the Soviet Union would set the bar for which the United States would aim to surpass. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin of the USSR became the first man to orbit the earth. This was also the year of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, when he commits the United States to the goal of landing the first man on the moon before the completion of the decade. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, it became unclear whether this task would be possible for the country to reach.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Apollo Program History

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Amidst the shortcoming of the Cold War, the goal of the 1960’s was “to go above and beyond” in space exploration by successfully landing a man on the moon, which would serve as a gambit to conceivably lead the United States to victory. Before astronauts ventured beyond the earth, scientists had to assess the space environment and the hazards of human exploration. Soon after President John F. Kennedy assumed office in January of 1961, the space race was undoubtedly underway, and the United State’s primary focus was landing a man on the moon--hence, the Apollo Program. These Apollo Missions are significant in that America received technical credibility and hasted the end of the Cold War in our favor. Also, Carole Stott, a long-time astronomer…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ‘Space Race’ was an unofficial competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, the focus of which was space exploration. It began after World War II, in the mid-1950s, when Russia launched a satellite into space. After this, the race was on between America and Russia to gain as much ground in space as possible. The Space Race began in 1955, when both the United States and the Soviet Union announced they would be launching artificial satellites into space.…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After WWII, America and the Soviet Union were the 2 remaining super powers of the world. A rivalry formed between the two and created the Cold War in which both nations tried to be better in any way than the other. This had great effects on the American Society and Foreign Policy.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union was one of the greatest rivalries of the 20th century. From 1955 to 1972, these two superpowers battled each other for supremacy in space flight technologies, with each country launching multiple satellites and manned missions into space. Their ultimate goal was to put a man on the moon. The 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite by the Soviets had an immense effect on the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The launch proved that Eisenhower lacked leadership skills. He could not prove to his fellow Republicans in congress that space travel should be a top priority of the country. Democrats believed that not enough funding had gone into national defense and that the Soviet satellite…

    • 239 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sputnik Paper

    • 1658 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Almost every country wanted to take part in the race to put the first man on the moon. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union started the battle by springing the world into this great space race by the launching of Sputnik I. Sputnik was the first satellite to be launched into Earth’s orbit, a task which no one else had been successful in nor fully concerned in trying. However, once the Soviet Union made the first move, it sent not only the United States into a panic, but everyone else as well. By far the biggest surprise of Sputnik’s launching was the fact no one envisioned its success. The Soviets caught the world off guard with their new satellite, even when talk of the satellite had occurred months in advance. After this historical event, many Americans began to question everything happening around them. What was the Soviet Union’s true mission behind the launch? If they made a satellite, what other technological advancements could they secretively be working on? What does America need to do as a country to protect itself against these forces? With all of these questions…

    • 1658 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    John F. Kennedy (JFK)

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Soviet Union was much more advanced in terms of space technology. Kennedy was eager to compete against the Soviet Union’s space victories. Scrambling to catch up, the United States launched its own satellite, Explorer 1.This was the start of the “Space Race.” On May 25, 1961, Kennedy made his bold goal public "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth by the end of the decade.” He asked Congress for $7- $9 billion to fund the space program. This led to the improvement of American space technology. In February 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. As space exploration continued through the 1960s, the United States was on its way to the moon. Although Kennedy didn’t live to see the day, his goal of landing a man on the moon was reached. On July 20, 1969 American astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. set off on the Apollo 11 for the moon. This was the memorable moment that Neil Armstrong stepped on to the lunar surface, and said the unforgettable words: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." This was a turning point in human history; it was the greatest technological achievement of the century and possibly in all history. The true significance was that this gave people at…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cold War, one of the most scariest times in America’s, or even the world’s history. The threat of nuclear war was real, very real. At any moment America or the U.S.S.R. could destroy the entire world with their assault of nuclear weapons, just at a call and a click of a button. This is one of many important times in history, and still affects us today. Not only did the North Atlantic Treaty Operation come from the tensions, but the bay of pigs, the cuban missile crisis, the berlin wall (the construction and demolition) all were the outcome from these tensions in which still affect us today.…

    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    History: The Space Race

    • 2339 Words
    • 10 Pages

    First, I will explain how the actions of the USSR started The Space Race. Next, how the United States developed NASA and eventually landed the first man on the moon. Finally, the technologies that were developed for space travel and have now become household items we all use in everyday life. In the 1950’s, America was in an upswing. After the victory in WWll, the economy was rapidly expanding, the baby boom had begun and Levittown was built as an example of suburban living. In a different part of the world, Russia was moving to annex land, promote communism and conquer space. The USSR launched Sputnik in 1957 as the first successful rocket to fly into space and return. The U.S. took notice and pushed for increased development of rockets…

    • 2339 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Space Race

    • 768 Words
    • 2 Pages

    On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space, The Sputnik I. This was detrimental to the U.S. because it meant that they were losing the space race. The Soviets showed the U.S. that they now had the capability to launch satellites and nuclear warheads into space. America quickly answered back with the launch of Explorer I, which was the first American made satellite to orbit around Earth. This achievement by the U.S. led Eisenhower to form the National Aeronautics and Space Admission (NASA). The organization was founded to study and build space exploration vehicles and scientific experiments. Soon after the formation of NASA, the Soviets launched the first man into the orbit of Earth, heating up the space race. Nearly a month later, NASA launched Alan Shepard into space, making him the second man to exit Earth’s atmosphere.…

    • 768 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays