To what extent did the arms race exacerbate tensions between the USA and USSR during the Cold War?

Essay Plan-Firstly, introduce the answer by giving an overview of the arms race. It began with the USSR successfully testing an atomic bomb in 1949 and was a key feature of the struggle for supremacy throughout the Cold War, as can be seen in Reagan's announcement of the Strategic Defence Initiative in 1983. Then outline the argument of the answer whilst acknowledging both sides of the debate. End with a well-reasoned and justified conclusion.
On one side, the arms race was a vital vehicle for US-USSR tensions during the Cold War and was a source of conflict and disagreement, as demonstrated by the doctrine of massive retaliation. Furthermore, when combined with brinkmanship, the arms race saw the most volatile moment of the Cold War in the form of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
On the other hand, the threat of mutually assured destruction actively discouraged confrontation between the two states. As Eisenhower said in 1954, 'What do you do with the world after you have won such a catastrophic nuclear war?'. Thus, the weapons of mass destruction produced as a result of the arms race served to keep tensions in check. Indeed, as the eminent Cold War Historian, J.L. Gaddis, argued, cooperation between the USA and USSR was down to the existence of nuclear weapons.