The Cold War

Quickly after the Second World War, the Navy was taken down a notch when many of the ships were taken off duty as they should for peace time, but when the Korean War started, it was made clear that the peacetime naval force would need to be much larger than they had anticipated. The small state of the Navy didn’t last long; as tensions with the Soviets grew, so did the Navy.

The United States Navy quickly grew into the most technologically advanced of the US military branches. The 1950’s brought with them the development of nuclear power for ships, as well as further development of missiles and jets for use on ships. Also, ballistic missile submarines grew more powerful and undetectable. The Soviets inspired this growth, not only by developing further technologies in the Arms Race but also by simply having more ships. The fact that the Soviet navy was much larger than the United States’ at the beginning of this conflict was a terrifying concern for many. In the end, the Navy’s development quickened in the midst of the Arms Race with the Soviets.