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How Did The Space Race Represent The Cold War?

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The Space Race was a thrilling chapter in the Cold War saga. A political cartoon made in 1985 by Tom Engelhardt, an American writer and editor, shows that seamlessly. The cartoon is in black and white, and two men, Reagan and Gorbachev, stand on a rocket. The rocket is labeled "Balance of Terror," while the two men balance it and reach out to satellites. During this time, the Cold War started because each country wanted to show better advancements in their scientific and technological capabilities (Engelhardt, 1985). By doing so, the Soviet Union and the United States were in a race for the stars. The "Balance of Terror" by Tom Engelhardt accurately represents the Cold War because it illustrates how the Soviets and Americans fought through the Space Race, competing to demonstrate their scientific and …show more content…

The Space Race was a pivotal element in the Cold War, serving as a "high-stakes" arena for the United States and the Soviet Union to demonstrate their technological and even ideological superiority. With Engelhardt's cartoon, he gave my perspective on the Cold War change. He always aimed to illuminate the Cold War's political, military, and ideological dimensions. I had never understood the meaning of balance of terror until I realized it was about nuclear warfare. Instead of going into a blood-curdling war, the space race took its place, keeping millions of lives at peace. Tom Engelhardt's "Balance of Terror" effectively encapsulates the essence of the Cold War, highlighting the intense rivalry of the space race as a battleground where the Soviets and Americans vied to display their scientific and technological advancements. Engelhardt shows what each country wants from competing with each other. Since his cartoon was about the Space Race, it also shows how the countries competed against each other without the need for nuclear

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