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The History of Nuclear Bomb CreationThe first nuclear weapons were created by the United States, with assistance from the United Kingdom and Canada, during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. While the first nuclear weapons were developed primarily out of fear that Nazi Germany would first develop them, eventually they were used against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The Soviet Union developed and tested their first nuclear weapon in 1949, based partially on information obtained from Soviet espionage in the United States. Both the USA and USSR would go on to develop weapons powered by nuclear fusion (hydrogen bombs) by the mid-1950s. With the invention of reliable rocketry during the 1960s, it became possible for nuclear weapons to be delivered anywhere in the world on a very short notice, and the two Cold War superpowers adopted a strategy of deterrence to maintain a shaky peace. Nuclear weapons were symbols of military and national power, and nuclear testing was often used both to test new designs as well as to send political messages. Other nations also developed nuclear weapons during this time, including the United Kingdom, France, and China. These 5 members of the «nuclear club» agreed to attempt to limit the spread of nuclear proliferation to other nations, though at least 4 other countries (India, South Africa, Pakistan, and most likely Israel) developed nuclear arms during this time. At the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the Russian Federation inherited the weapons of the former USSR, and along with the USA pledged to reduce their stockpile for increased international safety. Nuclear proliferation has continued, though, with Pakistan testing their first weapons in 1998, and the state of North Korea claiming to have developed nuclear weapons in 2004. Nuclear weapons have been at the heart of many national and international political disputes, and have usually symbolized the ultimate ability of mankind to utilize the strength of nature for destruction. There have been at least 4 major false alarms, the most recent in 1995, that almost resulted in the US or Russia launching its weapons in retaliation for a supposed attack. Additionally, during the Cold War the US and the USSR came close to nuclear warfare a number of times, most notably during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. These days, there are estimated to be about 30,000 nuclear weapons held by 8 countries, though 96% of these are in the possession of just two the United States and the Russian Federation.
nuclear weapons ядерные вооружения possession владение, обладание; собственность; имущество; пожитки
Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1129
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