How did nuclear weapons come to be? We will explore the early history of nuclear weapons and the development of delivery systems and their use in warfare. Early delivery systems included bombers such as the United States B-29 Superfortress and Convair B-36. The Soviet Union also made use of German scientists captured in the Second World War. But when were Nuclear Weapons developed? Will take a look at a few of the major milestones in their development.
The Manhattan Project was responsible for the development of two types of atomic bombs. One was the Little Boy, which was a gun-method uranium bomb, and the other was an implosion-method plutonium bomb. These bombs were able to hit targets hundreds of miles away. However, asymmetric shock waves would fizzle the plutonium sphere, resulting in massive loss of life.
The United States’ development of nuclear weapons was initially motivated by the fear of the Soviet Union. Officials aimed to maintain their numerical and technological edge over the Soviets. The menacing events of 1949-1950 included the first Soviet atomic bomb test, the communist revolution in China, the start of the Korean War, and revelations of atomic spies. The anti-communist campaign that grew out of this fear contributed to the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the U.S., and the resulting fear of a nuclear war would destabilize our democracy.
The United States, UK, and Soviet Union decided to develop atomic bombs during World War II. The Manhattan Project was launched in 1942, and Britain joined in 1943. In August 1945, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union completed two bombs ready for use. In August 1945, President Harry S. Truman decided to use the bomb against Japan. The United States subsequently developed other versions of nuclear weapons and the rest is history.
The Soviet Union’s efforts were backed by a parallel program that developed a gun-like device. However, the Soviet Union scrapped the program after conducting an implosion test. Although the Soviet Union monopolized the largest known uranium reserves in the Belgian Congo, the British had substantial knowledge of domestic uranium deposits. In fact, Britain had a much better chance of developing nuclear weapons than the United States.
The first attempts to develop nuclear weapons began with the Manhattan Project, a research and development program that culminated in the production of three plutonium bombs before the end of the war. In addition to the three plutonium bombs developed during World War II, the U.S. also developed an untested uranium bomb. Despite their widespread use in warfare, many scientists who had helped develop nuclear technology were opposed to its use in warfare. One of these scientists, Leo Szilard, the creator of the nuclear chain reaction, drafted a petition to the Truman administration in support of the Manhattan Project. This letter was signed by scores of scientists.
The first nuclear tests were conducted in 1945 by the United States and the Soviet Union. The first test, code-named Trinity, was conducted on July 16, 1945. The test was conducted with the Gadget device and released the equivalent of 19 kilotons of TNT. The results of the Trinity Test were rushed to the US government and President Truman, who used them to leverage the Potsdam Conference.
The first atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were huge custom-made devices that required highly trained personnel to deploy. They could only be dropped from large bomber planes and required highly trained personnel to do so. They were enormous and complicated compared to conventional weapons. The first hydrogen bombs were similarly complex and massive. They were extremely dangerous if used against other nuclear-armed nations. So, what did they do?
When were Nuclear Weapons developed? Has several historical roots. First, in 1938, three chemists in Berlin broke the atom of uranium. Their next step was the building of a bomb. This required several technical challenges. But the goal was met. In 1942, a gun-type fission weapon was created and dropped. Its ultimate power lies in releasing massive amounts of energy. However, there were a few technical challenges to overcome before a bomb could be built.
The Soviet Union conducted its first atomic bomb test in 1949. This was followed by the first hydrogen bomb test in 1952. The US also began developing its own nuclear bomb. The hydrogen bomb is far more powerful than the atomic bomb and could have devastating effects. During the same year, the United States tests a nuclear-powered submarine. This test is the first underground nuclear bomb test. It yielded 1.7 kilotons.