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Nuclear Proliferation
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The Manhattan Project
"Inspired by scientists who feared atomic bomb development by Germany, the United States began studying the atomic bomb when World War II began in 1939. In August 1942 the U.S. launched a development program called the Manhattan Project. The bomb was completed after enormous expenditure and successfully tested on July 16, 1945."
-www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
"After Japan failed to surrender to Allied Forces, on July 30 President Harry S. Truman approved the use of the atomic bomb developed by the Manhattan Project scientists. Orders for the bombing were issued on August 3, and three days later the Enola Gay dropped one bomb, nicknamed “ Little Boy, ” on the industrial city of Hiroshima, with the blast, fire and radiation killing 60, 000 civilians,"
-Oxford Dictionary of the US Military -
Soviet Union's first nuclear test
"The Soviet Union explodes its first nuclear weapon at its testing range on the Kazakhstan steppe. Many historians consider the test the beginning of the nuclear arms race."
-www.wired.com -
Hurricane: Britain's first Successful Nuclear Test
"Due to the small size, no suitable sites for atmospheric weapons tests existed. Britain thus sought sites in other countries to test its weapons, finally settling on the Monte Bello Islands, off the west coast of Australia. On October 3, 1952, Britain detonated its first atomic device, code-named "Hurricane." It had an explosive yield of about 25 kilotons."
-www.atomicarchive.com -
France's first Nuclear Test
"The first French nuclear test, 'Gerboise Bleue,' (Blue Gerbil) was detonated on February 13, 1960 at Reggane in Algeria atop a 345 foot tower. This device used plutonium and had a notably high yield of 60-70 kilotons. No other nuclear power has ever detonated such a powerful device as its first test."
-www.atomicarchive.com -
596: China's First Successful Nuclear Test
"Nuclear weapons were the prerequisite for being a great power, and China was determined to be a great power. The Soviet Union helped China develop nuclear weapons, partly as a counter to the superior forces of the Western nuclear nations (US/UK/Fr)." as said by David Meyer from UCI. -
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
"The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also referred to as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), obligates the five acknowledged nuclear-weapon states (the United States, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, France, and China) not to transfer nuclear weapons, other nuclear explosive devices, or their technology to any non-nuclear-weapon state."
-http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/npt/ -
Pokhran 1: India's First Successful Nuclear Test
"India conducted its first nuclear detonation, described by India as a "peaceful nuclear explosion," on 18 May 1974. This test, which may have only been partially successful, demonstrated a claimed yield of 12 kt. The device was emplaced in a vertical shaft and detonated at a depth of 107 meters. The test produced a crater with a radius variously reported at between 47 and 75 meters, and a depth of about 10 meters."
-www.fas.org -
Pakistani's Changhai Test
Pakistan successfully tests a nuclear device in Changhai. "Our alarm over India's nuclear demonstration. It would indicate that we have already succumbed to the threat. This would be disastrous for our national determination," said Bhutto. -
North Korean Nuclear Test
"Years of posturing and wrangles over the delivery of American aid culminated in October 2006 with an announcement by Pyongyang that it had carried out an underground nuclear explosion.North Korea's first nuclear test exploded a device based on plutonium, rather than enriched uranium.The test was conducted at P'unggye-yok, and US intelligence officials later announced that analysis of radioactive debris in air samples collected a few days..."
-BBC News