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Four years later, both countries tested their first intercontinental ballistic missiles and the arms race rose to a terrifying new level. The United States responded in 1952 by testing the highly destructive hydrogen “superbomb,” and the Soviet Union followed suit in 1953. But in 1949, the Soviets tested their own atomic bomb, and the Cold War nuclear arms race was on.

To help discourage Soviet communist expansion, the United States built more atomic weaponry. The United States cast a wary eye over the Soviet Union’s quest for world dominance as they expanded their power and influence over Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union resented the United States’ geopolitical interference and America’s own arms buildup.įurther fueling the flame of distrust, the United States didn’t tell the Soviet Union they planned to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, although the United States informed them they had created such a bomb. Though the United States and the Soviet Union were tentative allies during World War II, their alliance soured after Nazi Germany surrendered in May 1945. The conflict didn’t cause World War I, but it did help to increase distrust and tensions between Germany, Britain and other European powers. Germany couldn’t keep up, however, and Britain won the so-called Anglo-German Arms Race. Not to be outdone, Germany produced its own fleet of dreadnought-class warships, and the standoff continued with both sides fearing a naval attack from the other and building bigger and better ships. In turn, Britain further expanded the Royal Navy and built more advanced and powerful battlecruisers, including the 1906 HMS Dreadnought, a technically advanced type of warship that set the standard for naval architecture.

But Germany had also drastically increased its military budget and might, building a large navy to contest Britain’s naval dominance in hopes of becoming a world power.

In response, Great Britain shored up its Royal Navy to control the seas.īritain managed to work out its arms race with France and Russia with two separate treaties. In the late nineteenth century, France and Russia built powerful armies and challenged the spread of British colonialism. With the Industrial Revolution came new weaponry, including vastly improved warships.