“Nuclear arms race during the Cold War period had a paradoxical role in both escalating and preventing direct conflict.” Critically analyse this statement in the light of historical facts.

The nuclear arms race during the Cold War exemplified the concept of deterrence through mutually assured destruction (MAD), which paradoxically prevented direct large-scale conflict between the superpowers while escalating global tensions and arms development.

• Escalation of Arms Development: The USA and USSR invested heavily in developing larger and more sophisticated nuclear arsenals. This began with the US atomic bombings in Japan in 1945 and was followed by the Soviet Union’s first nuclear test in 1949. The subsequent development of thermonuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles by both sides marked significant escalations in military capabilities, leading to a perpetual state of readiness for war.
• Prevention of Direct Conflict: Despite the increase in weapons capabilities, the sheer destructiveness of nuclear arms effectively prevented direct military engagement between the USA and USSR. The doctrine of MAD implied that any nuclear attack by one would result in an immediate, devastating retaliation by the other, ensuring mutual destruction. This stark reality forced both superpowers to engage in proxy wars and diplomatic stand-offs rather than direct military conflict.
• Psychological and Political Impact: The nuclear arms race also had profound psychological and political impacts, instilling fear and promoting a culture of surveillance and suspicion. It influenced international relations and led to the establishment of various arms control treaties, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT agreements in the 1970s), aimed at managing the escalation and providing frameworks for reducing nuclear arsenals.

The nuclear arms race thus both heightened the Cold War’s dangers and ironically helped maintain a precarious peace by making the cost of war unacceptably high.