How did nuclear weapons affect the dynamics of the Cold War Essay - 1

How did nuclear weapons affect the dynamics of the Cold War - Essay Example During this period, Cold War revolutionized global approaches to war. Military growth and development became the subject of the day, especially in both Eastern and Western blocs. High tension also became evident as United States and the Soviet Union embarked on a bid to arm themselves with nuclear weapons. A significant rise in the production of nuclear weapons was anticipated following the end of World War II. Both Eastern and Western blocs feared the emergence of yet another world war as time went by. This fear accelerated arming in both United States and the Soviet Union. These two countries had taken their respective positions as global superpowers, an aspect that fuelled the emergence of Cold War. Over the years, the two countries would accumulate weapons of mass destruction without necessarily engaging in physical war-like attacks. Cold War was a significant factor in shaping war trends across the globe. The Soviet Union consolidated the Eastern bloc while the United States of America did the same on the Western bloc. During this time, no fighting of significant scale was reported. In other words, the war was literally cold even though it lasted for decades. Based on these observations, the Cold War exhibited critical dynamics, most of which were subject to the influence of nuclear weapons. Weapons of mass destruction undoubtedly come with consequences that do not only affect the attacked party, but also the attacker. Atomic energy that is out of control carries devastating and catastrophic implications. With two nuclear-armed nations in a standoff, it was evident that the victims would comprise of more than just the warring parties would. In fact, memories of World War II reveal just how destructive atomic bombs and nuclear weapons are. In the context of war, a repeat of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attack was an experience that warring nations would rather avoid (Miller,