resources on the hydrogen bomb?

[sash1]

I have to do a ~7 page paper for US History. My topic is the hydrogen bomb. Here is my thesis:

America was justified in their development and stockpiling of the nuclear bomb.

However, concurrently, I have a 10-15 page englilsh paper due on Friday, and I honestly have no time right now to find resources. I've been hard at work the past week doing this english paper, and haven't found time between school, track practice, and this paper to do my history paper.

I'm not asking you to write my paper, but does anyone know of any good books that will help me prove my thesis? Even websites that will give me some background info on this will help.

It's not that hard to find books on the H-bomb, I've found some good ones, but that really doesn't help me. I really need a book that goes into the reasons why the U.S. made the hydrogen bomb and how they justified it (i.e. MAD policy, Russia was making them too).

Thanks to anyone who can find me a few good books/websites! I'll greatly appreciate it

`K

 

[Nebor]

Anyone remember that story of those kids in... Michigan? that built a hydrogen bomb themselves for a science fair? Then the military and FBI raided them and took them all away... What happened with that anyways?

 

[azazyel]

Cold War International History Project.

There is a TON of great information here about almost any topic. Durring college I used this site to get declassified KGB documents. Time Atomic Bomb into the search and see what you get...

EDIT

Text

 

[K1052]

Link

Also, search around on Edward Teller who was one of the H-bomb's biggest proponents.

Sorry that I don't know any more sources on the political aspects of this.

 

[fredtam]

All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

Edit:

Text
Text
Text
Text

 

[fredtam]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Mike test 1951
Hiroshima 1945 (Dropped from plane)

 

[K1052]

The Russians did develop a 'deliverable' device sooner than the Americans, however they were far less powerfull and sophisticated than the US design (which was quickly shrunk to practical size).

Edit: Also the Russians stole most of their information from the US and Germany to even get a working fisson weapon in any reasonable timeframe.

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: K1052
The Russians did develop a 'deliverable' device sooner than the Americans, however they were far less powerfull and sophisticated than the US design (which was quickly shrunk to practical size).

Really?

"On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb. It came as a great shock to the United States because they were not expecting the Soviet Union to possess nuclear weapon knowledge so soon. Previously, the United States had used two atomic bombs on Japan to cause them to surrender during World War II. The impact that the possession of nuclear weapons by the Soviet Union had upon the United States was that it caused Americans to question their own safety.

President Truman responded by reevaluating the United States position in the world and called for the United States to build up its conventional and nuclear weapons to halt the spread of Soviet influence around the globe."

http://www.coldwar.org/articles/40s/soviet_atomic_bomb_test.php3

 

[Desslok]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Mike test 1951
Hiroshima 1945 (Dropped from plane)

The bomb dropped on Hiroshima was NOT a Hbomb.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Mike test 1951
Hiroshima 1945 (Dropped from plane)

Hiroshima wasn't an H-bomb

 

[fredtam]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Mike test 1951
Hiroshima 1945 (Dropped from plane)

It was my understanding that we were talking about an H-bomb or "super bomb" which is far more powerful and was developed after the original atomic bomb. Although the first test of a Russian H-bomb was later than ours it was more advanced and far more compact.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: K1052
The Russians did develop a 'deliverable' device sooner than the Americans, however they were far less powerfull and sophisticated than the US design (which was quickly shrunk to practical size).

Really?

"On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb. It came as a great shock to the United States because they were not expecting the Soviet Union to possess nuclear weapon knowledge so soon. Previously, the United States had used two atomic bombs on Japan to cause them to surrender during World War II. The impact that the possession of nuclear weapons by the Soviet Union had upon the United States was that it caused Americans to question their own safety.

President Truman responded by reevaluating the United States position in the world and called for the United States to build up its conventional and nuclear weapons to halt the spread of Soviet influence around the globe."

http://www.coldwar.org/articles/40s/soviet_atomic_bomb_test.php3

You are talking about a purely fission (Plutonium or Uranium weapon).

The H-Bomb is a fusion (Tritium/Deuterium/Lithium Deturide) reaction, triggered by a fission primary.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Nebor
Anyone remember that story of those kids in... Michigan? that built a hydrogen bomb themselves for a science fair? Then the military and FBI raided them and took them all away... What happened with that anyways?

Are you talking about The Manhattan Project?

Yeah, it was a movie that came out in 1986. I have the DVD. Its a "neat" movie.

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Mike test 1951
Hiroshima 1945 (Dropped from plane)

Hiroshima wasn't an H-bomb

alright, you win... Hiroshima was a uranium bomb

Gotta go....work over...

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Mike test 1951
Hiroshima 1945 (Dropped from plane)

It was my understanding that we were talking about an H-bomb or "super bomb" which is far more powerful and was developed after the original atomic bomb. Although the first test of a Russian H-bomb was later than ours it was more advanced and far more compact.

The US design was more powerful and efficent than the Russian 'layer cake' design (than even the designers had anticipated).

 

[glen]

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

An "A-Bomb" is a Fission device.
The "Mike" test refers to a Fusion device; sometimes called an "H-Bomb."
It uses an "A-Bomb" (Fission) just to start the detonation (Fusion).

 

[fredtam]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Mike test 1951
Hiroshima 1945 (Dropped from plane)

It was my understanding that we were talking about an H-bomb or "super bomb" which is far more powerful and was developed after the original atomic bomb. Although the first test of a Russian H-bomb was later than ours it was more advanced and far more compact.

The US design was more powerful and efficent than the Russian 'layer cake' design (than even the designers had anticipated).

I understand that but the fact that it was "deliverable" makes it more advanced IMO. Just because we built ours like a Swiss watch can't take away from the fact that they were a step ahead in the game.

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Thanks! The rest of that page has some good info!

This topic is really new to me. I know a lot about the science behind the hydrogen bomb, but I have no idea about the politics behind it and what happened surrounding the H-bomb. I find it interesting, which is why I chose this topic. One of my friends is doing the A-bomb, but the H-bomb is totally cooler (and more destructive 😛)

`K

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Mike test 1951
Hiroshima 1945 (Dropped from plane)

It was my understanding that we were talking about an H-bomb or "super bomb" which is far more powerful and was developed after the original atomic bomb. Although the first test of a Russian H-bomb was later than ours it was more advanced and far more compact.

The US design was more powerful and efficent than the Russian 'layer cake' design (than even the designers had anticipated).

I understand that but the fact that it was "deliverable" makes it more advanced IMO. Just because we built ours like a Swiss watch can't take away from the fact that they were a step ahead in the game.

I base my opinion on the fact that the yield of the US weapons could be greatly increased without hindering their delivery. The old Russian 'layer cake' could not be increased too much because the layout of the device would make delivering it to a target very hard.

 

[fredtam]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: fredtam
All I can remember is that when we were proudly testing our Hbomb the size of a house the Russians were already dropping them out of planes.

wrong

right.

Check out the transcripts from "Mike" test.

Mike test 1951
Hiroshima 1945 (Dropped from plane)

It was my understanding that we were talking about an H-bomb or "super bomb" which is far more powerful and was developed after the original atomic bomb. Although the first test of a Russian H-bomb was later than ours it was more advanced and far more compact.

The US design was more powerful and efficent than the Russian 'layer cake' design (than even the designers had anticipated).

I understand that but the fact that it was "deliverable" makes it more advanced IMO. Just because we built ours like a Swiss watch can't take away from the fact that they were a step ahead in the game.

I base my opinion on the fact that the yield of the US weapons could be greatly increased without hindering their delivery. The old Russian 'layer cake' could not be increased too much because the layout of the device would make delivering it to a target very hard.

I agree but when you get to the point of an H-bomb bigger yield is just icing on the cake. Any one "layer cake" can take out a city and crumble infrastructure.

Now my interest has been peeked. Any info on the plane we were stupid enough to land there allowing them to reverse engineer it? It helped put them light years ahead of where they were as far as delivery. I can't remember when it was. Man we are stupid sometimes.
Man we are stupid sometimes.

 

[Bulk Beef]

Any info on the plane we were stupid enough to land there allowing them to reverse engineer it?

Soviet B-29

The crews didn't really have much choice as to where they landed.

 

[fredtam]

Originally posted by: sward666

Any info on the plane we were stupid enough to land there allowing them to reverse engineer it?

Soviet B-29

The crews didn't really have much choice as to where they landed.

It was my understanding that it was a US- Russian agreement to allow the wounded planes to land there. They weren't just forced by there wounded plane to land in Russia. I would be skeptical of landing one of our most advanced planes in allied territory and even more so in a fairweather friends backyard. I know hindsight is 20/20 but the planes should have been destroyed.