Final answer:
The US policy of brinkmanship contributed to the arms race by demonstrating a readiness to use nuclear weapons, which escalated tensions and led to an increase in defense spending and nuclear capabilities. The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 highlighted the dangers of this strategy but also resulted in measures to reduce nuclear risks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States policy of brinkmanship during the Cold War period significantly contributed to the escalation of the arms race with the Soviet Union. Brinkmanship, a term coined during the Eisenhower administration under Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, indicated a willingness to push a dangerous situation to the edge without actually intending to start a conflict. The underlying belief of this strategy was that by showing a readiness to use nuclear weapons and go to the brink of nuclear war, adversaries would be deterred from aggression.
This policy led to an increase in defense spending, an expansion of military branches, and the multiplication of nuclear capabilities. The strategic production and deployment of these nuclear weapons saw the US and the Soviet Union amass large stockpiles on hair-trigger alert, further intensifying the arms race. The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, exemplifies brinkmanship pushing both nations to the precipice of nuclear war, which thankfully ended with a de-escalation rather than conflict.
The arms race also saw the development of long-range bombers, nuclear missiles, and submarines capable of launching nuclear strikes. This era of Cold War tension led to the creation of several measures aimed at reducing the risk of accidental nuclear war, such as the establishment of a 'hot line' between Washington and Moscow and the signing of treaties like the Limited Test Ban Treaty and Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).