Arms race
What Arms race means in History GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Arms race
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Reference: Pearson Edexcel
A defining feature of the Cold War, driven by the desire for military superiority and deterrence, which escalated from atomic bombs to hydrogen bombs and ICBMs.
A competition in weapons build-up that Gorbachev recognised the failing Soviet economy could not sustain.
Topics that use Arms race
- Option P4: Key topic 1: The origins of the Cold War, 1941–58 - 3 The Cold War intensifies (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Option P4: Key topic 3: The end of the Cold War, 1970–91 - 2 The end of détente and the ‘Second Cold War’ (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Carter Doctrine
- Cultural Cold War
- Deterrence
- Diplomacy
- ICBMs
- INF Treaty
- Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI)
- Summit meetings
Using Arms race in the exam
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