Why were there turning points in the Nuclear Arms Race?

Question: Why were there turning points in the Nuclear Arms Race!?

Could you please give a lot of detail if possible, thanks!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

I am not sure exactly what you mean by this question, but I am going to try to take a shot at it!.

Throughout the arms race America seemed to be lagging behind the USSR primarily because the USSR only broadcasted successful launches, while the US broadcasted all launches, successes and failures!. You can see how that would make the moon landing appear like the US won against the odds!.

The arms race also wounded the USSR very deeply!. Their economy was far from stable, they were exporting raw materials for far less money than democratic countries were exporting assembled goods, their technology was lacking, and they were putting on a facade of being economically equal to democratic nations while they were struggling to hold it together!. The empire was about to begin to fall apart after the "thaw" or "destalinization" under Khrushchev that lead to attempted revolutions in Hungry and Poland that were answered by the Brezhnev doctrine (Khrushchev said that Stalin was too harsh, and lightened up on his fear tactics and harsh rules!. This lead to uprisings in some of the Russian colonies, so under Brezhnev, the Red Army was used to stomp out the unrest!. This was evidence that the USSR was struggling to stay together politically, and it was only the threat of violence holding some of the pieces together)!.

In simplistic terms, during the arms race the USSR was spending money it didn't have, to seem stronger than it really was, and went in more debt then they could ever repay!. The Soviet investment in the arms race was arguably the blow that began their demise!.

To the US we were proving that we were better than the USSR, because the highly secretive USSR projected false records to us stating they were strong, efficient, and stable while it was far from the truth!. The USSR was putting on a facade that they were a threat that would challenge the American way of life!. The USSR appeared superior, because they took the lead, and never showed a single failure publicly, but when the US got to the moon first, the economic strain of the race would serve to cripple the economy of the USSR!.

I believe the "turning points" that you mention in your question are based on the media interpretation of events, and the writings from historians from before the Soviet archives were unlocked, and historians could begin to see the true state of the USSR during the arms race!. In reality, it was just that, a race, and the economic investment put a high level of strain on the Soviet economy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Well,I can give one!.

Reagan's pursuit of the star wars project was just about the straw that broke the camels back as far as the ruskie's were concerned!.

As mad as it seems,the soviets actually took this threat very seriously, with military spending already crushing the life out of the faltering communisism, a develeopment of a counter system would have been way beyond any resources the commie's could muster!.

This is one of the latter reasons what helped bring about the end of the arms race!.Bascically the soviets coulnt keep up!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Von Braun, was captured and taken to America to work on intercontinental rockets , He was the foremost expert on rockets streets ahead of the RussiansWww@QuestionHome@Com