between the US and USSR, leading to the relentless pursuit of nuclear
superiority.
An opportunity for co-operation
Though it is undeniable that the launch of the Sputnik programme sparked
increased tensions in nuclear relations, it on the other hand brought about a
great deal of enthusiasm between the two superpowers to engage in mutual
nuclear co-operation. Following the death of Stalin in 1953, the Eisenhower
administration reluctantly sought to explore common ground with the USSR,
but with the growing arms race and the continuous testing of nuclear weapons, Khrushchev refused to even consider negotiations on limiting nuclear arsenals. 74 In the aftermath of Sputnik, however, proposals for a test ban summit came into fruition in 1958, over the growing fears of Soviet technological superiority. 75 In
a meeting in March of that year, Eisenhower conceded that ‘a test ban might
hurt the nation militarily,’ but ‘we need some basis of hope for our own people and for world opinion.’ 76 The president sought to strike first, however, due to
adamant opposition from the military, Eisenhower reluctantly agreed not to
make any test ban announcement until his advisers came to an agreement surrounding nuclear disarmament. 77
74 Lisa Baglione, To Agree or Not to Agree: Leadership, Bargaining, and Arms Control (Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 1999) p.2. Atoms for Peace and Open Skies, for example, were two attempts Eisenhower came up with to slow down the nuclear arms race, but none of these initiatives worked. 75 Divine, p.172. 76 Robert Divine, Eisenhower and the Cold War (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981), p.128. 77 Zuoyue Wang, In Sputnik's Shadow: The President's Science Advisory Committee and Cold War America (London: Rutgers University Press, 2008), p.120. The AEC and the DOD opposed it for fear that it would weaken U.S. nuclear superiority.
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