How did the arms race contribute to tensions between East and West? one way in which the development of the arms race contributed to the rising global tensions between the superpowers in the east and in the west was the introduction and creation of "Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles" (icbms). The creation of ICBMs was significant because it instilled fear in both the East and the West this fear was rooted in the potential for nuclear war. this situation led Governments to invest into propaganda scaring the civilian population into believing that their tax money was needed to develop nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrent systems. this can clearly be seen in history in the Usa with campaigns such as the " bert the turtle duck and cover" being televised across all schools in america indoctrinating the youth and ensuring everyone new that nuclear war was a serious threat. this raised tensions between the west and the east as citizens of both sides started to believe that the opposition had superior icbms than them resulting in them starting to grow to resent the other sides becoming deeply rooted in western society and military. This is shown and highlighted in the common American phrase at the time " better dead than red" what this clearly shows to us as historians is how individuals would prefer to be dead than have the slightest touch of communism displaying the true resentment from the tax paying public and the Military forces ready to defend their home. Another factor of hoe the arms race raised tension between the east and the west was the "Cuban Missile crisis". Russia as a communist country was angered by the american deployment of troops to country's near the iron curtain such as the icbms in an american military base in turkey. the Russian leader of the time kruschev felt that russia was under threat by this and had to fight back this led to the deployment of russian icbms in the communist leaning country of cuba only 70 miles of the shore of America meaning key american cities where at threat of nuclear war, raising again the hatred between the two civilian sides and raising popularity for the arms race from the public taxpayers. the result of nuclear weapons being so closely implemented to american sovereign soil was one of hatred from the american government this led to a tense blockade of russian ships from entering cuban national waters, this in its own right is an official act of war, making america appear hostile to the outer world and in the wrong. eventually the situation was dealt with when american diplomats met with russian diplomats to ensure the removal of the nuclear weapons from the nation of cuba, after the situation american support from the public was heavily invested in the idea of ensuring that nuclear weapons were never near their shores again swere happy for the defense budget to be raised and spent on nuclear deternets, a direct phone line in secret was also linked through the white house to the kremlin ensuring both heads of state could communicate directly with each other in the course of another world altering nuclear event.