Questions tagged [nuclear-weapons]
Questions about the history of nuclear weapons.
77
questions
2
votes
3
answers
721
views
Did Soviet Union really consider using atomic bomb against US aircraft battlegroup?
In this video youtube narrator says that:
"During Cold War Soviet Union considered American battle-group such a dire threat that they predicted the only way to defend against them would be by use ...
- 11.3k
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How much did the production of the Tsar Bomba cost to the Soviets?
The Tsar Bomba, also known as the "King of Bombs," was the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated. Developed and tested by the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War, this ...
- 11.3k
9
votes
2
answers
512
views
Did the Allies' attacks on Germany's heavy water supply lead to any reevaluation of its nuclear goals?
It is well-known that throughout much of WWII the Allies made persistent attacks on Norsk Hydro's Vermork heavy-water plant, and on the transportation of heavy water from there, up until the point ...
- 31.3k
8
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Where did one-in-a-million chance of nuking the atmosphere come from?
There's a well-known story that, while developing the atom bomb, the scientists at Los Alamos determined that there was a one-in-a-million chance that setting off the bomb would cause the atmosphere ...
- 269
4
votes
1
answer
450
views
Why are the Russian Federation's Strategic Rocket Forces and the 12th Chief Directorate separate?
It seems that:
the Strategic Rocket Forces (РВСН РФ) is the branch of the Russian Armed Forces (ВС РФ) tasked with the employment of nuclear weapons.
the 12th Chief Directorate of the Ministry of ...
23
votes
1
answer
13k
views
Why did the United States drop a uranium bomb instead of a plutonium bomb on Hiroshima?
Why did the United States choose to use an untested uranium-fueled (Little Boy) bomb at Hiroshima instead of a plutonium-fueled (Fat Man) bomb, which had been successfully tested at Trinity? Surely ...
- 72.4k
-1
votes
2
answers
275
views
Is the assertion that the A-bomb deterred Stalin plausible? [closed]
An answer on Quora asserted that if the USA had not dropped the a-bomb on Japan that Stalin would've invaded France and not stopped to meet the rest of the allies in Germany?
Is there any evidence to ...
- 6,748
2
votes
2
answers
328
views
What were Russia and the US were planning to do if Ukraine refused to give up their nuclear arsenal?
In 1994, Ukraine famously gave up their nuclear arsenal in exchange for the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances. But is it known if Russia or the US had any backup plans in case Ukraine stood ...
- 31.3k
42
votes
7
answers
23k
views
Why did the United States not resort to nuclear weapons in Vietnam?
Before getting into this note that I am NOT saying this would have been a good idea, nor am I advocating this as being a correct approach, not at all, it would surely have been horrific and very hard ...
- 80.6k
-1
votes
1
answer
603
views
Why is there less public attention on the firebombing of Japan compared to its atomic bombing? [closed]
Virtually everybody has heard of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, the firebombing of Japan is nowhere near as well known, or talked about, at least by non-Japanese.
Why is there ...
- 14.5k
12
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Were the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary? [closed]
The United States bombed Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Before the Japanese could surrender, they bombed Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The two bombs killed over 200,000 people, most of them civilians.
...
- 3,687
26
votes
7
answers
10k
views
Why did the US drop nuclear bombs on a weakened Japan? [closed]
Why did the United States drop two nuclear bombs on the Japanese mainland? It appeared that Japan was ready to surrender.
- 3,687
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
What were the plans to use the atomic bomb if it had been in time for the war in Europe?
The United States, Britain and Germany started to research of the atomic bomb at the beginning of World War II. When Americans got it, the war in Europe was over and the bomb was only used against ...
- 6,748
4
votes
2
answers
326
views
What was the ethnic identity of first class sergeant Patrick Joseph Cleary?
Recently, I saw this video concerning two Los Alamos criticality accidents, which took place in 1945 and in 1946. The second accident took place on May 21, 1946. There were eight persons in the room ...
- 1,763
43
votes
5
answers
15k
views
Why did the Soviet Union name their strongest bomb Tsar Bomba?
The Soviet Union has/had the most powerful (Hydrogen) Bomb ever, the Tsar Bomb.
Why did they name it Tsar Bomb, when they had freed themself from the Tsars before, and even executed Tsar Nicholas II?
- 97.5k