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Arms race and power politics during cold war
Introduction of hiroshima and nagasaki
Hydrogen bomb during world war 2
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The creation of the hydrogen bomb, moreover the summoning of an arms race, spawned worldwide desire for nuclear arms, and worldwide fear for those who had them; The effects of such can be seen in the economic and diplomatic benefits exhibited by those with enough stamina and vigilance to endure its costs, and in the extreme measures taken by countries, nominally the United States, to respond to the security threat posed when other countries owned the bomb. Furthermore: For those whose economy could afford it, nominally the U.S., USSR and India, economic and diplomatic benefits followed its creation; For the U.S., following the creation of the bomb by enemies were extreme defense tactics; For all the benefits and costs compelled a worldwide …show more content…
After the first Hydrogen bomb was tested on November 1st 1952, many nations desired its power and a worldwide arms race for hydrogen bombs began. “August 12 [, 1953]: First test of Soviet thermonuclear device (Andrei Sakharov 's "Layer Cake") takes place.”(9). The USSR is the first to follow in the footsteps of the United States, since it was during the cold war, the USSR was basically forced to build and test a hydrogen bomb to prove their power and technological advancements. For the USSR, building this bomb had many prospects that made it very desirable, one was an increase in nationalism, and a showcase to the world of their power; possibly a fear tactic for easier imperialism, secondly: this gave them an economic boost as well as a boost to production: workers would take pride in what they did and therefore were more motivated to work hard. “NEW DELHI, May 17 [, 1998]— In a disclosure with potential to accelerate further a nuclear arms race with Pakistan, Indian scientists confirmed today that the largest of the five underground nuclear tests they conducted last week involved a hydrogen bomb”(10) India too followed in the arms race, their test came later yet “The news conference in New Delhi turned into another occasion for Indians to demonstrate soaring pride over the nuclear tests. The scientists were applauded by Indian reporters, asked for their autographs and generally treated much …show more content…
As a result, after the testing of the Hydrogen bomb there are immediate, visible, positive fluctuations in economic affairs. As seen in these graphs of GDP, Employment Rate, Inflation Rate, Revenue, and Producer Price changes (to other countries),(appendix 1-6) which are all great tools of measuring the health of an economy, at the time of the first Hydrogen bomb testing in the United States there was a spike in inflation, GDP, employment and revenue. Considering that the spike occurs at the same time as the first Hydrogen bomb test, and that no other spikes are seen on these graphs except on the days of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (another first use of a massive bomb), it can be reasonably inferred that there is a direct correlation between the creation of the Hydrogen bomb, and these economic benefits/increases. Furthermore, “By mid- 1955, the country had pulled out of the previous year 's recession and gross national product was growing at a rate of 7.6 percent. The boom was so great that the budget for 1956 predicted a surplus of $4.1 billion.”(14) The Hydrogen bomb not only stimulated the economy, but it also helped pull the country out of a recession. As another example, it can be seen that soon after the testing of the Tsar bomb in 1961, which was the most powerful bomb in the world to be ever tested, The USSR’s GNP
In today’s society, many countries and even citizens of the United States question the U.S. government’s decision to get involved in nuclear warfare. These people deemed it unnecessary and stated that the U.S. is a hypocrite that preaches peace, but causes destruction and death. Before and during World War II the U.S. was presented with a difficult decision on whether or not to develop and use the atomic bomb. The U.S. decided to develop the atomic bomb based on the fear they had for the safety of the nation. In August 1939 nuclear physicists sent manuscripts to Albert Einstein in fear the Germany might use the new knowledge of fission on the uranium nucleus as way to construct weapons.
The atomic bomb created under the Manhattan Project set a new level of psychological panic. It influence media, government, and daily lives of those all around the world. The media was covering stories about protection from a nuclear attack and the government was right next to the reporters helping to further the creation of fear with their messages about preparation.
Decisions are the hardest thing to do, especially considering how Harry Truman decided to drop the US Atomic bombs onto Okinawa and Iwo Jima. The role to end the war with Japan was in his hands, but it would require releasing the most horrendous weapon ever known. Although, there was some controversy over Truman’s decision. Some people say that it was unnecessary to use the Atomic bombs, such as the Federal Council of Churches and the Christian Faith. They stated that: “As American Christians, we are deeply penitent for the irresponsible use already made of the atomic bomb. We are agreed that, whatever be one’s judgment of the war in principle, the surprise bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are morally indefensible. ("8 Primary Pros and Cons of Dropping the Atomic Bomb")” People also
The super bomb in which America and Russia were trying to build was in fact the Hydrogen Bomb. This bomb had an unlimited blast potential and for the country who possessed it unlimited power. The A-bomb’s explosion was based on the principal of fission (the splitting of atoms), however the H-bomb’s explosion was base on fusion (the coming together of atoms). In August of 1945 Russian President Stalin, turns up the nuclear project in Russia. He put Barria whom was in charge of the secret police, to head the Russian Nuclear program. An American scientist named Edward Teller solicited the American government to build the H-bomb. He was born in Hungary and had learned to fear the communists and the Russians. In April of 1946 the Super Conference was held. Klaus Fuchs was a scientist that worked for Teller at Los Alamos, he told the Russians how to build the A-bomb, and also about Tellers ideas of the H-bomb. He was arrested for spying for the Russians. By chance the Americans found out that there were traces of radioactive material in the air over Russia. They pieced together that Russia had the A-bomb they decided to go ahead with plans to build the super bomb. President Truman came to the conclusion that no matter how bad of a weapon the H-bomb was if was better if we had if first. America had lost some of its power and wanted to gain a new edge. General Curtis Lamay was put in charge of Strategic Air Command to protect America from the threat of nuclear war. Lamay was the ranking Air Force General over the Skies of the pacific and was the man for the job. His strategy was to have an abundant amount of bombers ready to strike every major city in the Soviet Union. He wanted everyone in the Army and Air Force to act as if war was not far away.
Perhaps one of the most controversial topics that have ever existed is whether the U.S should have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan. To some people this is a matter of morals, while to others it is a matter of what was better politically, while some others say that it was better because it reduced the number of people that died. There is two views on the atomic bomb dropping, one side says it was the right thing to do while the other side says it was the wrong thing to do and it seems as if the American people are the only ones that are saying that it was the right thing to do. In countries like Russia, China, Japan etc. they teach in schools that it was the wrong thing to do, while here kids are taught that the use of the atomic bomb was justified.
In the world there is little thing called power. Many countries want to have great power, few get it. Powers gave the Soviet Union and the U.S. the ability to dominate in wars. In the 1950’s during the Cold War these two countries had a race to se who could create the most powerful weapon the world has ever seen, the Hydrogen Bomb. Edward Teller, an atomic physicist, and Stanislaw Marcin Ulam, a mathematician, "who together developed the Teller-Ulam design in 1951" for the Hydrogen Bomb (Teller-Ulam Design). Many people had their thoughts about why or why not the Hydrogen Bomb should have been built. What this essay will talk about is why the Hydrogen Bomb was built.
The USA’s new weapon, the Hydrogen bomb, or H-bomb, was one of the most powerful weapons of the time. In 1950, the H-bomb was tested in the Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands (Cold War History). The reaction was so fierce, the explosion wiped the island off the face of the earth, leaving a crater on the ocean floor. The explosion reached a range of 25 square miles and had a mushroom cloud which dropped radioactive fallout on the surrounding areas (The Cold War Museum). This new weapon scared the Soviet Union into creating their own bombs.
On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the world’s first atomic bomb over Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. On August 15th, the Japan announced unconditional surrender in World War II. To this day historians still discuss why the U.S. decided to use the atomic bombs. Orthodox historians argue that the decision to drop the bombs was a military one designed purely to defeat the Japanese. Revisionist historians argue that the bombs were not needed to defeat Japan; the bombs were meant to shape the peace by intimidating the Soviets. After analyzing the documents in The Manhattan Project it has become clear that the U.S. used the bombs during WWII not only to defeat the Japanese, but also to intimidate the Soviet Union
Atomic bombs were used against Japan in order to end the war as quickly as possible, with minimal amounts of American casualties. The United States had decided that they will only accept an unconditional surrender from the Japanese. The use of the atomic bombs was hoped to push the Japanese the last bit to get them to surrender to the U.S. 's terms.
When President Truman authorized the use of two nuclear weapons in 1945 against the Japanese in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II, the nature of international security was changed irreversibly. At that time, the United States had what was said to have a monopoly of atomic bombs. Soon thereafter, the Soviet Union began working on atomic weaponry. In 1949, it had already detonated it first atomic bomb and tensions began to heat up between the two countries. With the information that the Soviets had tested their first bomb, the United States began work on more powerful weapons1, and a fight for nuclear superiority had begun.
Since its beginning, the Manhattan Project has become synonymous with images and ideas of death, devastation and war. What few people consider though, is that without the United States initial concern in creating weapons of mass destruction, there would be larger changes in society than simply having less bombs. Nuclear energy production was hardly given a thought before scientists saw the awe-inspiring power of nuclear fission. The work going towards the Manhattan Project did more than create destructive weapons of death, it changed the face of the earth, and in more than one way.
As the cold war had brought upon a lot of conflict, it had also had the struggle of the economy from the remnants of the Second World War and the 70’s that had really brought the entire situation down. In the beginning of the nuclear arms race, it was commonly believed that nuclear weapons provided more benefits than the cost was so they justified their somewhat frivolous spending. While the greater explosive power of nuclear weapons may cause them to be cheaper per kiloton, as wholesale of a particular item does in today’s world, this statement proves to be untrue for the arms race and it even hides the actual economic costs of the nuclear weapons. Economic pressure had already been with the United States from the previous years that had left a negative impact before the beginning of the nuclear arms race, and all the millions, billions, and even trillions spent on acc...
The development and usage of the first atomic bombs has caused a change in military, political, and public functionality of the world today. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki revolutionized warfare by killing large masses of civilian population with a single strike. The bombs’ effects from the blast, extreme heat, and radiation left an estimated 140,000 people dead. The bombs created a temporary resolution that lead to another conflict. The Cold War was a political standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States that again created a new worldwide nuclear threat. The destructive potential of nuclear weapons had created a global sweep of fear as to what might happen if these terrible forces where unleashed again. The technology involved in building the first atomic bombs has grown into the creation of nuclear weapons that are potentially 40 times more powerful than the original bombs used. However, a military change in strategy has came to promote nuclear disarmament and prevent the usage of nuclear weapons. The technology of building the atomic bomb has spurred some useful innovations that can be applied through the use of nuclear power. The fear of a potential nuclear attack had been heightened by the media and its release of movies impacting on public opinion and fear of nuclear devastation. The lives lost after the detonation of the atomic bombs have become warning signs that changed global thinking and caused preventative actions.
...er Kuran) Eight months after the creation of the hydrogen bomb, the Soviets came out with their very own hydrogen bomb. The nuclear industries of the USSR and the United States were feared by many and avoided by fighting a series of proxy wars and conflicts. (Moore)
In 1945, when the Americans bombed Hiroshima, Japan, approximately 140,000 men and women were instantly killed by the effects of American nuclear defense. With such extreme brutality and force how many people must die for one to finally realize the strengths of nuclear bombs and what damage they can cause. Nuclear weapons should be outlawed because they kill thousands of innocent humans at a time, destroy the environment, and inviolate human’s right to moral and personal freedoms.