Race for the Hydrogen Bomb
World War II's end signified the beginning of the race to develop a weapon even more potent than the atomic bomb: the hydrogen bomb. While many who had witnessed the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused by the atomic bomb opposed the H-bomb's development, others felt it was the only way to protect the lives of innocent people from another power's nuclear attack.Amid secrecy and suspicions of espionage, the American and Soviet nuclear programs took root and grew, and the race for the hydrogen bomb was on.
Part I: Genesis
Scientists explore the possibility of a fusion bomb.
Part II: The Classic Super is Born
Edward Teller leads the efforts to develop the 'super'.
Part III: A Shock from the Soviets
The Soviet Union explodes an atomic bomb.
Part IV: Entering the Thermonuclear Era
The world's first thermonuclear device is exploded.
Part V: The Red Scare
Fears of the Soviet Union's influence.
Part VI: Under the Thermonuclear Shadow
The world learns to exist under the threat of nuclear war.