In the first decade after WWII, why were the Soviet Union and the United States motivated differently to develop missiles?

• A. Because the Soviets already had a huge bomber force and needed missiles to balance their force-projection capabilities.
• B. Because the United States had a large bomber force with which to deliver nuclear weapons, but the Soviets had no comparable means of delivery.
• C. Because the Soviets knew that the eventual development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles would give them an edge.
• D. Because the Soviets lacked submarines and needed something to offset U.S. naval superiority.

Answer: (B)

Delivery capability shapes why nations push missile development. In the first decade after World War II, the United States already had a large, capable bomber force that could deliver nuclear weapons globally, giving it a strong deterrent without needing missiles as the primary delivery method. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, lacked a comparable long-range delivery means, so missiles offered a crucial way to project power and deter the United States despite that gap. That mismatch explains the different motivations: the United States could rely on bombers and view missiles as an additional option, while the Soviet Union needed missiles to compensate for its delivery limitations. The other options misstate the Soviet bomber posture or overstate submarine relevance in that early period.