2. Please write and briefly explain two important events/episodes in the armaments race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War in no less than 100 words.

2. Please write and briefly explain two important events/episodes in the armaments race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War in no less than 100 words.

1. Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): The Cuban Missile Crisis was a pivotal event in the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It began when the United States discovered that the Soviet Union was secretly installing nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. This development significantly escalated tensions between the two superpowers, bringing them to the brink of nuclear war. The crisis lasted for 13 tense days, during which the world held its breath. Eventually, a negotiated settlement was reached, with the Soviets agreeing to remove their missiles from Cuba in exchange for a public commitment from the United States not to invade the island nation. The crisis highlighted the extreme dangers of the nuclear arms race and led to increased efforts to establish arms control agreements between the two nations.

2. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) (1969-1979): The SALT talks were a series of negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union aimed at limiting the proliferation of strategic nuclear weapons. The first round of talks, known as SALT I, resulted in the signing of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 1972. This treaty limited the number of anti-ballistic missile systems that each country could deploy, thereby reducing the incentives for each side to develop more advanced offensive nuclear weapons. SALT II negotiations began in 1972 but were not completed until 1979. Although the treaty was signed by both nations, it was never ratified by the United States due to the deterioration of U.S.-Soviet relations. Nonetheless, the SALT talks marked an important effort to control the arms race by placing limitations on the development and deployment of strategic nuclear weapons.