The Nuclear Arms Race: ICBMs and Polaris Flashcards

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What does ICBM stand for in the context of the nuclear arms race?

ICBM stands for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.

What is an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)?

An ICBM is a long-range rocket that can carry a nuclear bomb thousands of kilometres to another continent.

Which two superpowers built large numbers of ICBMs during the Cold War?

The United States (USA) and the Soviet Union (USSR) built large numbers of ICBMs.

Why did ICBMs make nuclear war more dangerous than using bomber planes?

ICBMs could reach targets in minutes, were hard to stop, and gave very little warning of an attack.

What was the impact of ICBMs on the nuclear arms race?

ICBMs sped up the arms race, as each side tried to build more and better missiles than the other.

What was Polaris in the nuclear arms race?

Polaris was a type of nuclear missile fired from submarines, first developed by the USA.

Why were Polaris submarines an important part of nuclear defence?

Polaris submarines could hide under the sea and move around, so they were hard for an enemy to find and destroy.

When did Britain begin to use Polaris missiles?

Britain began to use Polaris missiles in the late 1960s, starting in 1968.

What is Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) in the context of ICBMs and Polaris?

MAD is the idea that both sides had so many nuclear missiles, like ICBMs and Polaris, that each could destroy the other even after being attacked.

How did the spread of ICBMs and Polaris missiles affect relations between the superpowers?

It increased fear and tension, but also made leaders more careful, as a direct war could lead to total nuclear destruction.

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