Nuclear arms race

The nuclear arms race was a competition for supremacy in nuclear weapons between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War. During the Cold War, in addition to the American and Soviet nuclear stockpiles, other countries also developed nuclear weapons, though none engaged in warhead production on the same size as the two superpowers.

By the 1950s both the United States and Soviet Union had the power to obliterate the other side. Both sides developed a "second-strike" capability, i.e. they could launch a devastating attack even after sustaining a full assault from the other side (especially by means of submarines). This policy was part of what became known as Mutually Assured Destruction: both sides knew that any attack upon the other would be suicide for themselves as well, and thus would (in theory) restrain from attacking one another.

Both Soviet and American thinkers hoped to use nuclear weapons to extract concessions from the other side, or from other powers such as China, but the risk of any use of these weapons was so large that both sides refrained from its use.

In addition to the United States and the Soviet Union, three other nations, the United Kingdom (1952), People's Republic of China (1964), and France (1960) also developed far smaller nuclear stockpiles. During the Cold War, British nuclear deterrence came from submarines and nuclear-armed aircraft.

Economic problems caused by the arms race in both powers, combined with the ability to verify disarmament led to a number of arms control agreements beginning in the 1970s. This period known as detente allowed both states to reduce their spending on weapons systems. SALT I and SALT II and all limited the size of the states arsenals. Bans on nuclear testing, anti-ballistic missile systems, and weapons in space all attempted to limit the expansion of the arms race though the Partial Test Ban Treaty.

An additional nuclear arms race developed between India and Pakistan during the end of the 1990s. In 1998, both countries tested their nuclear weapons in a tit-for-tat fashion.

Exercise 6. Listen to text №8 «Ядерный терроризм» (ООН, 1999). Interpret the text.

Unit b Words and word combinations

unconditional surrender – безоговорочная капитуляция

denuclearised, atom-free zone – безъядерная зона

sabre-rattling – бряцанье оружием

cross check – взаимоконтроль

war of attrition – война на истощение

predatory wars – грабительские, захватнические войны

inadvertent war – война, развязанная в результате просчёта

syn. war caused by miscalculation

peacemaker – миротворец

military build-up, brining up one’s might – наращивание военной мощи

forcible entry – насильственное вторжение

violent overthrow (of) – насильственное свержение

refraining from the use of force – неприменение силы

pocket of resistance – очаг сопротивления

to transfer troops – перебрасывать войска

lull – временный перерыв (затишье) в военных действиях

to unleash war – развязывать войну

Strategic Offensive Weapons (SOW) – Стратегические Наступательные Вооружения (СНВ)

fledging armed forces – зарождающиеся, формирующиеся вооруженные силы

alert status – состояние готовности

scourge of war – последствия войны

to bring calamities and deprivations to the people – приносить бедствия и лишения народу

crowds of refugees – толпы беженцев

to commit outrages – творить беззакония

to wage/make a criminal war against... – вести преступную войну против...

to prevent (avert) a world war of extermination – предотвратить глобальную истребительную войну

to demand extradition of a war criminal – требовать выдачи военного преступника

to dominate – господствовать

syn. to rule over

pre-conscript – допризывник

the army of mercenaries – наёмная армия

the build up of war potential – наращивание военного потенциала

commitment to refrain from the threat or use of force – обязательство воздерживаться от угрозы силой или её применения

to condemn (denounce) acts of aggressions – осудить акты агрессии

to renunciate (waive) territorial claims – отказаться от территориальных притязаний

crushing rebuff – сокрушительный отпор

to be engaged in (conduct) subversive activities – вести подрывную деятельность

to suffer (sustain) a defeat – потерпеть поражение

thaw in relations between states – потепление в отношениях между государствами

the provoking of border conflicts – провоцирование пограничных конфликтов

adversaries (opponents) of peaceful coexistence – противники мирного сосуществования

land-based (ground-based) missiles – ракеты наземного базирования

submarine-based cruise missiles – крылатые ракеты морского базирования

to disband – распустить

to dismantle – демонтировать

military expenditure – расходы на военные цели

reconnaissance aircraft (plane) – самолёт-разведчик

to advance notification of military exercises – предварительно уведомить о военных манёврах

to launch an assault – начать штурм

perennial enemy – вечный враг

erstwhile associate – прежний союзник

Exercise 1. Give Russian equivalents for the following word combinations:

to perpetuate the memory of the victims of fascism, to reduce troop strength, to put forward territorial claims, to unveil a war memorial, thaw in relations between states, prevention of nuclear holocaust, to master the guard of honour, to strive for complete elimination of nuclear weapon, assault weapons, to supervise the observation of armistice conditions, to put an expeditionary force on to a foreign battlefield, Strategic arms limitation treaty (SALT), immortal heroic deed, to make a great contribution to easing international tension, to back up the rebel forces, an expansion of China’s existing long-range nuclear armoury, to alert one’s armed forces.

Exercise 2. Give English equivalents for the following word combinations:

дать отпор всяческим посягательствам на чей-либо суверенитет, увековечить память жертв фашизма, угрожать международному миру и безопасности, ультиматум, сократить численность войск, противодействовать политике агрессии, покончить c ещё одним очагом международной напряжённости, открыть памятник погибшим в войне, потепление в отношениях между государствами, доблестные защитники Родины, гегемонистские устремления, нанести сокрушительный удар, эвакуировать население, превентивные удары, обходить отрой почетного караула, ослабление международной напряжённости, бессмертная слава, ограничивать ядерные арсеналы обеих сторон, обмен военнопленными.

Exercise 3. Translate into English orally