Arms Race - Travis S.
The United States had previously dropped a nuke, which turned out to be pretty devastating. While both sides wanted to win, neither wanted to engage in a nuclear war, simply because of mass destruction. Russia was found to be testing nukes on their own though, igniting the spark that is the Arms Race. The countries sped through always trying to top one another on who has the better weapons. The better weapons, the stronger country.
The US really did not want to partake in another nuclear fight, but simply had to show they had more power than Russia. Although the race is concluded once the USSR falls, there was still an estimated amount of bombs and missiles to destroy the entire world.
Weapons show power. The more you have, the stronger your country is portrayed. The US and Russia fought for this power but quickly lead to a demise. The end of Russia.