Both the Americans and Soviets were aware of the impact of America’s acquisition of the German V2 rocket and prized German rocket team. Before the decision was made, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin felt the V2 technology belonged to the Soviets, as both the rocket design center at Peenemunde and the production facility at Nordhausen were in areas the Soviet Union attained under the conditions of the Yalta Conference. But the Americans had other plans.

With victory in Europe weeks away, a desperate race began between the U.S., Great Britain and the Soviets to capture the V2 technology. Within weeks though, the rocket race was over. Not only had the U.S. “liberated” the Russian-occupied rocket facilities, a direct violation of the Yalta Agreement, but it had also found itself with the greatest prize–von Braun and the German rocket team.

Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin was furious. “This is absolutely intolerable. We defeated the Nazi armies; we occupied Berlin and Peenemune, but the Americans got the rocket engineers. What could be more revolting and inexcusable? How and why was this allowed to happen?”

With the V2 technology firmly in the hands of the United States, the already strained relationship between the U.S. and Soviet Union severed completely, throwing the world into a new ideological battle known as the Cold War – a war that would dominate the world for the last half of the 20th century.