The emergence of nuclear weapons in the USSR. Testing of the first atomic bomb in the USSR. Who is the father of the atomic bomb

Truth in the penultimate instance

There are not many things in the world that are considered indisputable. Well, that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, I think you know. And that the Moon revolves around the Earth - too. And about the fact that the Americans were the first to create an atomic bomb, ahead of both the Germans and the Russians.

So I thought, until about four years ago I got my hands on an old magazine. He left my beliefs about the sun and the moon alone, but faith in American leadership was seriously shaken... It was a plump tome in German - a 1938 filing of the journal Theoretical Physics. I don't remember why I got there, but quite unexpectedly for myself I came across an article by Professor Otto Hahn.

The name was familiar to me. It was Hahn, the famous German physicist and radiochemist, who discovered in 1938, together with another prominent scientist, Fritz Straussmann, the fission of a uranium nucleus, in fact giving rise to work on the creation of nuclear weapons. At first, I just skimmed the article diagonally, but then completely unexpected phrases made me become more attentive. And, ultimately - even forget about why I originally took this magazine in my hands.

Ghana's article was devoted to an overview of nuclear developments around the world. As a matter of fact, there was nothing much to survey: everywhere, except Germany, nuclear research was in the pen. They didn't see much sense in them. " This abstract matter has nothing to do with state needs."- said around the same time, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, when asked to support British atomic research with budget money.

« Let these bespectacled scientists themselves look for money, the state is full of other problems! " - this was the opinion of most of the world's leaders in the 1930s. Except, of course, the Nazis, who were financing the nuclear program.
But it was not Chamberlain's passage, carefully quoted by Hahn, that caught my attention. England is not at all very interested in the author of these lines. Much more interesting was what Gahn wrote about the state of nuclear research in the United States of America. And he wrote literally the following:

If we talk about the country in which the least attention is paid to the processes of nuclear fission, then we should undoubtedly name the USA. Of course, I'm not considering Brazil or the Vatican right now. However among developed countries, even Italy and communist Russia are significantly ahead of the United States... Little attention is paid to problems of theoretical physics on the other side of the ocean, priority is given to applied developments that can provide immediate profit. Therefore, I can confidently assert that over the next decade, North Americans will not be able to do anything significant for the development of atomic physics.

At first I just laughed. How wrong my compatriot was! And only then I thought: whatever one may say, Otto Hahn was not a simpleton or an amateur. He was well informed about the state of atomic research, especially since before the outbreak of World War II this topic was freely discussed in scientific circles.

Maybe the Americans misinformed the whole world? But for what purpose? In the 1930s, no one dreamed of atomic weapons. Moreover, most scientists considered its creation impossible in principle. That is why, until 1939, all new achievements in atomic physics were instantly recognized by the whole world - they were completely openly published in scientific journals. No one hid the fruits of their labor, on the contrary, there was open rivalry between various groups of scientists (almost exclusively Germans) - who would move forward faster?

Maybe the scientists in the States were ahead of the whole world and therefore kept their achievements a secret? Not a bad guess. To confirm or deny it, we will have to consider the history of the creation of the American atomic bomb - at least as it appears in official publications. We are all accustomed to taking it for granted. However, upon closer examination, there are so many oddities and inconsistencies in it that you just wonder.

With the world on a string - the States are bomb

The year 1942 began well for the British. The German invasion of their small island, which seemed inevitable, now, as if by magic, retreated into the misty distance. Last summer Hitler made the biggest mistake in his life - he attacked Russia. This was the beginning of the end. The Russians not only withstood the hopes of the Berlin strategists and the pessimistic forecasts of many observers, but also gave the Wehrmacht a good kick in the frosty winter. And in December, the great and powerful United States came to the aid of the British and became an official ally. In general, there was more than enough reason for joy.

Only a few high-ranking officials were not happy with the information that British intelligence received. At the end of 1941, the British learned that the Germans were developing their atomic research at a frantic pace.... The ultimate goal of this process - a nuclear bomb - also became clear. British nuclear scientists were competent enough to imagine the threat posed by the new weapon.

At the same time, the British did not create illusions about their capabilities. All the resources of the country were directed to elementary survival. Although the Germans and Japanese were up to their throats in the war with the Russians and Americans, they occasionally found an opportunity to poke a fist at the dilapidated building of the British Empire. From each such poke, the rotten building swayed and creaked, threatening to collapse.

Rommel's three divisions pinned down almost the entire combat-ready British army in North Africa. Admiral Dönitz's submarines dived like predatory sharks in the Atlantic, threatening to cut off a vital supply line from across the ocean. Britain simply did not have the resources to enter the nuclear race with the Germans... The gap was already large, and in the very near future it threatened to become hopeless.

I must say that the Americans were at first skeptical of such a gift. The military department did not understand at close range why he should spend money on some obscure project. What other new weapons are there? Aircraft carrier groups and armadas of heavy bombers - yes, this is strength. And the nuclear bomb, which the scientists themselves imagine very vaguely, is just an abstraction, grandmother's tales.

It was necessary for British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to appeal directly to American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt with a request, literally a plea, not to reject the English gift. Roosevelt summoned scientists, sorted out the issue and gave the go-ahead.

Typically, the creators of the canon legend of the American bomb use this episode to highlight Roosevelt's wisdom. Look, what a shrewd president! We will look at it a little differently: in what enclosure were the Yankees atomic research, if they so long and stubbornly refused to cooperate with the British! This means that Gahn was absolutely right in his assessment of the American nuclear scientists - they did not represent anything solid.

Only in September 1942 was it decided to start work on the atomic bomb. The organizational period took some more time, and it was only with the onset of a new year, 1943, that the business really got off the ground. General Leslie Groves headed the work from the army (he would later write a memoir in which he would detail the official version of what was happening), the real leader was Professor Robert Oppenheimer. I will tell you about it in detail a little later, but for now let us admire another curious detail - how the team of scientists who began work on the bomb was formed.

In fact, when Oppenheimer was asked to recruit specialists, he had very little choice. Good nuclear physicists in the States could be counted on the fingers of a crippled hand. Therefore, the professor made a wise decision - to recruit people whom he knows personally and whom he can trust, regardless of which area of \u200b\u200bphysics they were engaged in before. And so it happened that the lion's share of the seats was occupied by Columbia University staff from Manhattan County (by the way, that is why the project was named Manhattan).

But these forces were not enough. It was necessary to involve British scientists in the work, literally devastating British scientific centers, and even specialists from Canada. In general, the Manhattan project turned into a kind of Babel Tower, with the only difference that all its participants spoke at least the same language. However, this did not save one from the usual squabbles and squabbles in the scientific community that arose due to the rivalry of different scientific groups. Echoes of these frictions can be found on the pages of Groves's book, and they look very funny: the general, on the one hand, wants to convince the reader that everything was decorous and decorous, and on the other, he wants to boast of how cleverly he was able to reconcile completely quarreled scientific luminaries.

And now they are trying to convince us that in this friendly atmosphere of a large terrarium, the Americans managed to create an atomic bomb in two and a half years. And the Germans, who have been merrily and amicably poring over their nuclear project for five years, did not succeed. Miracles, and nothing more.

However, even if there were no squabbles, such a record time would still arouse suspicion. The fact is that in the process of research it is necessary to go through certain stages, which are almost impossible to shorten. Americans themselves attribute their success to gigantic funding - ultimately, over two billion dollars was spent on the Manhattan project! However, no matter how you feed a pregnant woman, she will still not be able to give birth to a full-term baby earlier than nine months later. The same is with the atomic project: it is impossible to significantly speed up, for example, the uranium enrichment process.

The Germans worked for five years with full effort. Of course, they also made mistakes and miscalculations that took up precious time. But who said that the Americans had no mistakes and miscalculations? There were many. One of these mistakes was the involvement of the famous physicist Niels Bohr.

Unknown Skorzeny operation

The British intelligence services are very fond of showing off one of their operations. It is about the rescue of the great Danish scientist Niels Bohr from Nazi Germany. The official legend says that after the outbreak of World War II, the outstanding physicist lived quietly and calmly in Denmark, leading a fairly secluded lifestyle. The Nazis offered him cooperation many times, but Bohr invariably refused.

By 1943, the Germans still decided to arrest him. But, warned in time, Niels Bohr managed to escape to Sweden, from where the British took him out in the bomb bay of a heavy bomber. By the end of the year, the physicist found himself in America and began to work zealously for the benefit of the Manhattan Project.

The legend is beautiful and romantic, but it is sewn with white threads and does not stand up to any checks... There is no more credibility in it than in the fairy tales of Charles Perrault. Firstly, because the Nazis look like complete idiots in it, and they never were. Think hard! In 1940, the Germans occupy Denmark. They know that there is a Nobel laureate living on the territory of the country, who can be of great help to them in their work on the atomic bomb. The same atomic bomb that is vital to Germany's victory.

And what are they doing? For three years, they occasionally visit the scientist, knock politely on the door and quietly ask: “ Herr Bohr, do you want to work for the benefit of the Fuhrer and the Reich? You do not want? Okay, we'll come back later". No, that was not the way the German special services worked! Logically, they should have arrested Bohr not in 1943, but back in 1940. If it works out - to force (just to force, not to beg!) To work for them, if not - at least to make it so that he could not work for the enemy: to put him in a concentration camp or to destroy. And they leave him quietly roaming free, under the noses of the British.

Three years later, the legend says, the Germans finally realize that they are supposed to arrest the scientist. But here someone (exactly someone, because I have not found anywhere an indication of who did it) warns Bohr about the impending danger. Who could it be? It was not in the habit of the Gestapo to shout at every corner about the impending arrests. People were taken quietly, unexpectedly, at night. This means that the mysterious patron of Bohr is one of the rather high-ranking officials.

Let's leave this mysterious angel-savior alone for now and continue to analyze the wanderings of Niels Bohr. So the scientist fled to Sweden. How do you think? On a fishing boat, passing the German Coast Guard boats in the fog? On a raft made of planks? No matter how it is! Bohr sailed to Sweden with the greatest possible comfort on the most ordinary private steamer, which officially entered the port of Copenhagen.

Let's not puzzle over the question of how the Germans released the scientist if they were going to arrest him. Let's think about the following. The flight of a world-renowned physicist is an emergency of a very serious scale. On this occasion, an investigation was inevitably carried out - the heads of those who missed the physicist, as well as the mysterious patron, would fly off. However, no traces of such an investigation could be found. Maybe because he did not exist.

Indeed, how much value was Niels Bohr in the development of the atomic bomb? Born in 1885 and becoming a Nobel laureate in 1922, Bohr turned to the problems of nuclear physics only in the 1930s. At that time he was already a great, accomplished scientist with fully formed views. Such people rarely succeed in areas where innovation and out-of-the-box thinking was needed - and that was exactly the area that was nuclear physics. For several years Bohr failed to make any significant contribution to atomic research.

However, as the ancients said, the first half of life a person works for a name, the second - a name for a person. For Niels Bohr, this second half has already begun. Having taken up nuclear physics, he automatically became considered a major specialist in this field, regardless of his real achievements.

But in Germany, where such world-famous nuclear scientists as Hahn and Heisenberg worked, they knew the real value of the Danish scientist. That is why they did not actively try to attract him to work. It will turn out - good, let us trumpet the whole world that Niels Bohr himself works for us. It won't work - it's also not bad, it won't get confused with its authority underfoot.

By the way, in the United States, Niels Bohr was largely entangled underfoot. The fact is that the outstanding physicist did not believe at all in the possibility of creating a nuclear bomb... At the same time, his authority made him reckon with his opinion. According to Groves's recollection, the scientists working on the Manhattan Project treated Bohr like an elder. Now imagine that you are doing some difficult work without any confidence in the ultimate success. And then someone who you think is a great specialist comes up to you and says that you shouldn't even waste time on your occupation. Will the job get easier? I don’t think so.

Besides, Bohr was a staunch pacifist. In 1945, when the States already had an atomic bomb, he strongly protested against its use. Accordingly, he treated his work with coolness. Therefore, I urge you to think once again: what did Bohr bring more - movement or stagnation in the development of the question?

It's a strange picture, isn't it? It became a little clearer after I learned one interesting detail that seemed to have nothing to do with either Niels Bohr or the atomic bomb. We are talking about the "main saboteur of the Third Reich" Otto Skorzeny.

It is believed that Skorzeny's rise began after he released the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from prison in 1943. Imprisoned in a mountain prison by his former comrades-in-arms, Mussolini, it would seem, could not hope for release. But Skorzeny, on the direct orders of Hitler, developed a daring plan: to land troops on gliders and then fly away in a small airplane. Everything turned out as well as possible: Mussolini is free, Skorzeny is held in high esteem.

At least that's what the majority thinks. Few well-informed historians know that cause and effect are confused here. Skorzeny was entrusted with an extremely difficult and responsible task precisely because Hitler trusted him. That is, the rise of the "king of special operations" began before the story of the rescue of Mussolini. However, not for long - a couple of months. Skorzeny was promoted in rank and position exactly when Niels Bohr fled to England... I have not been able to find any reasons for promotion anywhere.

So we have three facts:
— firstly, the Germans did not prevent Niels Bohr from leaving for Britain;
— secondlyBohr has done more harm than good to Americans;
— third, immediately after the scientist was in England, Skorzeny received a promotion.

What if these are parts of one mosaic? I decided to try to reconstruct the events. Having captured Denmark, the Germans knew perfectly well that Niels Bohr was unlikely to help in the creation of the atomic bomb. Moreover, it will rather interfere. Therefore, he was left to live in peace in Denmark, right under the very nose of the British. Perhaps even then, the Germans expected the British to kidnap the scientist. However, for three years the British did not dare to undertake anything.

At the end of 1942, vague rumors began to reach the Germans about the start of a large-scale project to create an American atomic bomb. Even taking into account the secrecy of the project, it was absolutely impossible to keep the awl in the sack: the instant disappearance of hundreds of scientists from different countries, one way or another connected with nuclear research, should have pushed any mentally normal person to such conclusions.

The Nazis were sure that they were much ahead of the Yankees (and this was true), but this did not prevent the enemy from doing nasty things. And at the beginning of 1943, one of the most secret operations of the German special services was carried out. A certain well-wisher appears on the threshold of Niels Bohr's house, who tells him that they want to arrest him and throw him into a concentration camp, and offers his help. The scientist agrees - he has no other way out, to be behind the barbed wire is not the best prospect.

At the same time, apparently, the British are being told about Bohr's complete irreplaceability and uniqueness in nuclear research. The British bite - and what can they do if the prey itself goes to them, that is, to Sweden? And for complete heroism they take Bohr out of there in the belly of a bomber, although they could comfortably send him on a ship.

And then the Nobel laureate appears at the epicenter of the Manhattan Project, producing the effect of an exploding bomb. That is, if the Germans managed to bomb the research center at Los Alamos, the effect would be about the same. The work slowed down, and quite significantly. Apparently, the Americans did not immediately realize how they were tricked, and when they did, it was already too late.
Do you still believe that the Yankees designed the atomic bomb themselves?

Mission "Alsos"

Personally, I finally refused to believe in these stories after I studied in detail the activities of the Alsos group. This operation of the American special services was kept secret for many years - until its main participants left for a better world. And only then came information - albeit fragmentary and scattered - about how the Americans hunted for German atomic secrets.

True, if you thoroughly work on this information and compare it with some well-known facts, the picture turned out to be very convincing. But I will not get ahead of myself. So, the Alsos group was formed in 1944, on the eve of the Anglo-American landing in Normandy. Half of the members of the group are professional intelligence officers, half are nuclear scientists.

At the same time, in order to form Alsos, the Manhattan project was mercilessly robbed - in fact, the best specialists were taken from there. The mission was to collect information about the German atomic program. The question arises, how much did the Americans despair of the success of their undertaking, if they made the main stake on the theft of the atomic bomb from the Germans?
Great despair, if we recall a little-known letter from one of the atomic scientists to his colleague. It was written on February 4, 1944 and read:

« It seems that we are engaged in a hopeless business. The project is not progressing one iota. Our leaders, in my opinion, do not believe at all in the success of the whole undertaking. And we don’t believe. If it were not for the huge money that they pay us here, I think many would have long been doing something more useful».

This letter was cited at one time as proof of American talents: here, they say, what fellows we are, in a little over a year we pulled out a hopeless project! Then in the USA they realized that not only fools live around, and hastened to forget about the piece of paper. With great difficulty, I managed to dig up this documentary in an old scientific journal.

They did not spare money and efforts to ensure the actions of the Alsos group. She was perfectly equipped with everything she needed. The head of mission, Colonel Pash, carried a document from US Secretary of Defense Henry Stimson, who obliged everyone to provide the group with all possible assistance. Even the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces Dwight D. Eisenhower did not have such powers.... By the way, about the commander-in-chief - he was obliged to take into account the interests of the Alsos mission in planning military operations, that is, to capture, first of all, those areas where there may be German atomic weapons.

In early August 1944, or to be precise, on the 9th, the Alsos group landed in Europe. One of the leading US nuclear scientists, Dr. Samuel Goudsmit, was appointed the scientific leader of the mission. Before the war, he maintained close ties with German colleagues, and the Americans hoped that the "international solidarity" of scientists would be stronger than political interests.

Alsos managed to achieve the first results after the Americans occupied Paris in the fall of 1944... Here Goudsmit met with the famous French scientist Professor Joliot-Curie. Curie seemed to be sincerely glad about the defeat of the Germans; however, as soon as it came to the German atomic program, he went into a deaf "unconscious". The Frenchman insisted that he knew nothing, did not hear anything, the Germans did not even come close to developing an atomic bomb and in general their nuclear project was exclusively peaceful in nature.

It was clear that the professor was not saying something. But there was no way to put pressure on him - for cooperation with the Germans in then-France they were shot, regardless of scientific merits, and Curie was clearly afraid of death most of all. Therefore, Goudsmit had to leave incessantly.

Throughout his stay in Paris, vague but threatening rumors constantly reached him: in Leipzig there was an explosion of the "uranium bomb", in the mountainous regions of Bavaria, strange outbreaks are noted at night. Everything indicated that the Germans were either very close to creating atomic weapons, or they had already created them.

What happened next is still hidden by a veil of secrecy. They say that Pasha and Goudsmit still managed to find some valuable information in Paris. At least since November, Eisenhower has been constantly receiving demands to move forward into Germany at any cost. The initiators of these demands - it is now clear! - in the end, there were people associated with the atomic project and receiving information directly from the Alsos group. Eisenhower had no real opportunity to carry out the orders received, but the demands from Washington became increasingly stringent. It is not known how all this would have ended if the Germans had not made another unexpected move.

Ardennes riddle

In fact, by the end of 1944, everyone believed that Germany had lost the war. The only question is when the Nazis will be defeated. It seems that only Hitler and his inner circle held a different point of view. They tried to delay the moment of the catastrophe to the last.

This desire is understandable. Hitler was sure that after the war he would be declared a criminal and would be tried. And if you play for time, you can achieve a quarrel between the Russians and the Americans and, ultimately, get out of the water, that is, from the war. Not without losses, of course, but without losing power.

Let's think: what was needed for this in conditions when Germany had nothing left to do? Naturally, spend them as sparingly as possible, keep a flexible defense. And Hitler at the very end of the 44th throws his army into the very wasteful Ardennes offensive. What for?

The troops are given absolutely unrealistic tasks - to break through to Amsterdam and throw the Anglo-Americans into the sea. The German tanks were at that moment as far as the Moon on foot to Amsterdam, especially since less than half the way was splashing fuel in their tanks. Scare your allies? But what could have scared the well-fed and armed armies, behind which were the industrial power of the United States?

Generally, so far, no historian has been able to clearly explain why Hitler needed this offensive... Usually everyone ends up arguing that the Fuhrer was an idiot. But in reality Hitler was not an idiot, moreover, he thought quite sensibly and realistically to the very end. Those historians who make hasty judgments without even trying to figure something out are more likely to be called idiots.

But let's look at the other side of the front. Even more amazing things are happening there! And the point is not even that the Germans managed to achieve initial, albeit rather limited, successes. The point is, the British and Americans were really scared! Moreover, the fear was completely inadequate to the threat. After all, from the very beginning it was clear that the Germans had little strength, that the offensive was of a local nature ...

But no, eisenhower and Churchill and Roosevelt just panic! In 1945, on January 6, when the Germans were already stopped and even thrown back, british Prime Minister Writes Panic Letter to Russian Leader Stalin, which requires immediate assistance. Here is the text of this letter:

« There are very heavy fighting in the West, and big decisions may be required from the High Command at any time. You yourself know from your own experience how alarming the situation is when you have to defend a very broad front after a temporary loss of initiative.

It is very desirable and necessary for General Eisenhower to know in general terms what you propose to do, since this, of course, will affect all his and our most important decisions. According to the message received, our emissary Air Chief Marshal Tedder was in Cairo last night, weather bound. It's not your fault that his trip has been dragged on.

If he has not yet arrived at you, I will be grateful if you can let me know if we can count on a major Russian offensive on the Vistula front or elsewhere during January and at any other moments that you may have. you wish to mention. I will not share this highly classified information with anyone, with the exception of Field Marshal Brook and General Eisenhower, and only on condition that it is kept in the strictest confidence. I consider the matter to be urgent».

If you translate from the diplomatic language into the usual one: save us, Stalin, we will be beaten! This is another mystery. What kind of "beat", if the Germans have already been thrown back to the starting lines? Yes, of course, the American offensive, planned for January, had to be postponed until the spring. So what? We should be glad that the Nazis squandered their forces in senseless attacks!

And further. Churchill slept and saw how not to let the Russians into Germany. And now he literally begs them to start advancing westward without delay! To what extent must Sir Winston Churchill have been afraid ?! One gets the impression that the slowdown in the Allies' advance deep into Germany was interpreted by him as a mortal threat. I wonder why? After all, Churchill was neither a fool nor an alarmist.

And, nevertheless, the Anglo-Americans spend the next two months in terrible nervous tension. Subsequently, they will carefully hide it, but the truth will still break through to the surface in their memoirs. For example, Eisenhower after the war would call the last war winter "the most troubling time."

What was it that worried the Marshal so much if the war was actually won? Only in March 1945, the Ruhr operation began, during which the Allies occupied West Germany, surrounding 300 thousand Germans. The commander of the German troops in this area, Field Marshal Model, shot himself (the only one of the entire German generals, by the way). Only after that Churchill and Roosevelt calmed down more or less.

But back to the Alsos group. In the spring of 1945, it became noticeably more active. During the Ruhr operation, scientists and scouts moved forward almost following the advance guard of the advancing troops, reaping a valuable crop. In March-April, many scientists involved in German nuclear research fall into their hands. The decisive find was made in mid-April - on the 12th, the members of the mission write that they have stumbled upon "a real gold mine" and now they "learn about the project in general." By May, Heisenberg, Hahn, Osenberg, Diebner, and many other outstanding German physicists were in the hands of the Americans. Nevertheless, the Alsos group continued active searches in the already defeated Germany ... until the end of May.

But at the end of May something strange happens. The search is almost interrupted. Rather, they continue, but with much less intensity. If before they were dealt with by prominent scientists with a worldwide reputation, now they are beardless laboratory assistants. And big scientists pack their things in bulk and leave for America. Why?

To answer this question, let's see how events developed further.

At the end of June, the Americans are testing an atomic bomb - allegedly the first in the world.
And in early August, two are dropped on Japanese cities.
After that, the Yankees run out of ready-made atomic bombs, and for a rather long period.

It's a strange situation, isn't it? Let's start with the fact that only a month passes between the tests and the combat use of the new superweapon. Dear readers, this does not happen. Making an atomic bomb is much more difficult than a conventional projectile or rocket. This is simply impossible in a month. Then, probably, the Americans made three prototypes at once? Also unlikely.

Making a nuclear bomb is a very expensive procedure. There is no point in doing three if you're not sure you're doing it right. Otherwise, it would be possible to create three nuclear projects, build three research centers, and so on. Even the US is not rich enough to be so extravagant.

Well, well, suppose the Americans actually built three prototypes at once. Why did they not start serial production of nuclear bombs immediately after successful tests? Indeed, immediately after the defeat of Germany, the Americans found themselves in the face of a much more powerful and formidable enemy - the Russians. The Russians, of course, did not threaten the United States with war, but they prevented the Americans from becoming masters of the entire planet. And this, from the point of view of the Yankees, is a completely unacceptable crime.

And nevertheless, the United States had new atomic bombs ... When do you think? In the fall of 1945? In the summer of 1946? Not! It was only in 1947 that the first nuclear weapons began to enter the American arsenals! You will not find this date anywhere, but no one will undertake to refute it. The data that I have been able to obtain is absolutely secret. However, they are fully confirmed by the facts known to us about the subsequent build-up of the nuclear arsenal. And most importantly - by the results of tests in the deserts of Texas, which took place at the end of 1946.

Yes, dear reader, exactly at the end of 1946, and not a month earlier. Information about this was obtained by Russian intelligence and came to me in a very difficult way, which, probably, does not make sense to disclose on these pages, so as not to frame the people who helped me. On the eve of the new year, 1947, a very curious report lay on the table of the Soviet leader Stalin, which I will quote here word for word.

According to agent Felix, a series of nuclear explosions were carried out in the area of \u200b\u200bEl Paso, Texas in November-December of this year. At the same time, prototypes of nuclear bombs were tested, similar to those that were dropped on the Japanese islands last year.

Within a month and a half, at least four bombs were tested, three were unsuccessful. This series of bombs was created in preparation for the large-scale industrial production of nuclear weapons. Most likely, the beginning of such a release should be expected no earlier than mid-1947.

The Russian agent fully confirmed the information I had. But maybe all this is misinformation on the part of the American special services? Hardly. In those years, the Yankees tried to assure their opponents that they were the strongest in the world, and would not underestimate their military potential. Most likely, we are dealing with a carefully hidden truth.

So what happens? In 1945, the Americans dropped three bombs - and everything was successful. The next tests are the same bombs! - pass a year and a half later, and not very well. Serial production begins six months later, and we do not know - and will never know - how the atomic bombs that appeared in the American army warehouses corresponded to their terrible purpose, that is, how high-quality they were.

Such a picture can only be drawn in one case, namely: if the first three atomic bombs - the same ones in 1945 - were not built by the Americans independently, but were received from someone. To put it bluntly, from the Germans. Indirectly, this hypothesis is confirmed by the reaction of German scientists to the bombing of Japanese cities, which we know about thanks to the book by David Irving.

"Poor Professor Gun!"

In August 1945, ten leading German nuclear physicists, ten of the main protagonists of the Nazi "atomic project", were held captive in the United States. They pulled out all possible information from them (I wonder why, if you believe the American version that the Yankees far outstripped the Germans in atomic research). Accordingly, the scientists were kept in a kind of comfortable prison. There was also a radio in this prison.

On August 6, at seven o'clock in the evening, Otto Hahn and Karl Wirtz were at the radio. It was then that in the next news release they heard that the first atomic bomb had been dropped on Japan. The first reaction of colleagues to whom they brought this information was unequivocal: it cannot be true. Heisenberg believed that the Americans could not create their own nuclear weapons (and, as we now know, he was right).

« Did the Americans mention the word "uranium" in connection with their new bomb?He asked Ghana. The latter replied in the negative. "Then it has nothing to do with the atom," snapped Heisenberg. The eminent physicist believed that the Yankees simply used some kind of explosive of increased power.

However, the nine-hour news release dispelled all doubts. Obviously until then the Germans simply did not assume that the Americans managed to capture several German atomic bombs... However, now the situation has cleared up, and scientists began to torment the pangs of conscience. Yes Yes exactly! Dr. Erich Bagge wrote in his diary: “ Now this bomb has been used against Japan. They report that even after a few hours, the bombed city is hidden in a cloud of smoke and dust. We are talking about the death of 300 thousand people. Poor Professor Gang!»

Moreover, that evening, the scientists were very worried about how "poor Gang" would not commit suicide. The two physicists were on duty at his bedside until late to prevent him from suicide, and only retired to their rooms after discovering that their colleague had finally fallen asleep soundly. Gan himself subsequently described his impressions as follows:

For some time I was possessed by the idea of \u200b\u200bthe need to dump all uranium reserves into the sea in order to avoid a similar catastrophe in the future. Although I felt personally responsible for what had happened, I wondered if I, or anyone else, had the right to deprive humanity of all the fruits that a new discovery might bring? And now this terrible bomb went off!

I wonder if the Americans are telling the truth, and they really created the bomb that fell on Hiroshima, why should the Germans feel "personal responsibility" for what happened? Of course, each of them made their own contribution to nuclear research, but on the same basis, one could place some of the blame on thousands of scientists, including Newton and Archimedes! After all, their discoveries ultimately led to the creation of nuclear weapons!

The mental anguish of German scientists only makes sense in one case. Namely - if they themselves created the bomb that destroyed hundreds of thousands of Japanese. Otherwise, why should they worry about what the Americans have done?

However, so far all my conclusions were nothing more than a hypothesis, confirmed only by circumstantial evidence. What if I'm wrong and the Americans really succeeded in the impossible? To answer this question, it was necessary to closely study the German atomic program. And this is not as easy as it seems.

/Hans-Ulrich von Krantz, "The Secret Weapon of the Third Reich", topwar.ru/

She attracted specialists from many countries. Scientists and engineers from the USA, USSR, England, Germany and Japan worked on these developments. The Americans, who had the best technological base and raw materials, and who also managed to attract the most powerful intellectual resources at that time, were especially active in this area.

The United States government has set the physicists the task of creating a new type of weapon in an extremely short time, which could be delivered to the most remote point of the planet.

Los Alamos, located in the uninhabited desert of New Mexico, became the center for American nuclear research. Many scientists, designers, engineers and the military worked on the top-secret military project, while the experienced theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer, who is most often called the "father" of atomic weapons, headed the entire work. Under his leadership, the best specialists around the world developed controlled technology, without interrupting the search process for a minute.

By the fall of 1944, measures to create the first in the history of the nuclear power plant in general came to an end. By this time, a special aviation regiment had already been formed in the United States, which was to carry out the tasks of delivering deadly weapons to the places of their use. The regiment's pilots underwent special training, performing training flights at different altitudes and in conditions close to combat.

The first atomic bombings

In mid-1945, US designers managed to assemble two nuclear devices ready for use. The first targets for the strike were also selected. Japan was the strategic enemy of the United States at the time.

The American leadership decided to launch the first atomic strikes on two Japanese cities in order to intimidate with this action not only Japan, but also other countries, including the USSR.

On August 6th and 9th, 1945, American bombers dropped the first ever atomic bombs on the unsuspecting inhabitants of Japanese cities such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a result, more than one hundred thousand people died from heat radiation and a shock wave. Such were the consequences of the use of unprecedented weapons. The world has entered a new phase of its development.

However, the US monopoly on the military use of the atom was not very long. The Soviet Union also strenuously sought ways of practical implementation of the principles underlying nuclear weapons. Igor Kurchatov headed the work of the collective of Soviet scientists and inventors. In August 1949, the tests of the Soviet atomic bomb, which received the working name RDS-1, were successfully carried out. The fragile military balance in the world was restored.

In April 1946, the KB-11 design bureau (now the Russian Federal Nuclear Center - VNIIEF) was created at Laboratory No. 2 - one of the most secret enterprises for the development of domestic nuclear weapons, the chief designer of which was Yuli Khariton. Plant 550 of the People's Commissariat of Ammunition, which produced artillery shells, was chosen as the base for the deployment of KB-11.

The top-secret object was located 75 kilometers from the city of Arzamas (Gorky region, now Nizhny Novgorod region) on the territory of the former Sarov monastery.

KB-11 was tasked with creating an atomic bomb in two versions. In the first of them, the working substance should be plutonium, in the second - uranium-235. In mid-1948, work on the uranium option was discontinued due to its relatively low efficiency compared to the cost of nuclear materials.

The first domestic atomic bomb had the official designation RDS-1. It was deciphered in different ways: "Russia makes itself", "Motherland gives to Stalin", etc. But in the official decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of June 21, 1946, it was coded as "Special jet engine (" C ").

The creation of the first Soviet atomic bomb RDS-1 was carried out taking into account the available materials according to the scheme of the US plutonium bomb tested in 1945. These materials were provided by Soviet foreign intelligence. An important source of information was Klaus Fuchs, a German physicist who participated in the nuclear programs of the United States and Great Britain.

Intelligence materials on the American plutonium charge for the atomic bomb made it possible to shorten the time for creating the first Soviet charge, although many of the technical solutions of the American prototype were not the best. Even at the initial stages, Soviet specialists could offer the best solutions for both the charge as a whole and its individual units. Therefore, the first charge for an atomic bomb tested by the USSR was more primitive and less effective than the original version of the charge proposed by Soviet scientists in early 1949. But in order to show with a guarantee and in a short time that the USSR also possesses atomic weapons, it was decided to use a charge created according to the American scheme at the first test.

The charge for the RDS-1 atomic bomb was a multilayer structure in which the transfer of the active substance, plutonium, to the supercritical state was carried out due to its compression by means of a converging spherical detonation wave in an explosive.

RDS-1 was an aviation atomic bomb weighing 4.7 tons, 1.5 meters in diameter and 3.3 meters in length. It was developed in relation to the Tu-4 aircraft, the bomb bay of which allowed the placement of a "product" with a diameter of no more than 1.5 meters. Plutonium was used as the fissile material in the bomb.

To produce an atomic charge of a bomb in the city of Chelyabinsk-40 in the South Urals, a plant was built under the conditional number 817 (now FSUE "Production Association" Mayak "). The plant consisted of the first Soviet industrial reactor for the production of plutonium, a radiochemical plant for the separation of plutonium from irradiated a uranium reactor, and a plant for the production of plutonium metal products.

The plant's reactor 817 was brought to its design capacity in June 1948, and a year later the plant received the necessary amount of plutonium to manufacture the first charge for the atomic bomb.

The site for the test site, where it was planned to test the charge, was chosen in the Irtysh steppe, about 170 kilometers west of Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan. A plain with a diameter of about 20 kilometers was set aside for the landfill, surrounded by low mountains from the south, west and north. There were small hills to the east of this area.

The construction of the training ground, which received the name training ground No. 2 of the Ministry of the Armed Forces of the USSR (later the Ministry of Defense of the USSR), began in 1947, and by July 1949 it was largely completed.

For testing at the range, an experimental site with a diameter of 10 kilometers was prepared, divided into sectors. It was equipped with special facilities for testing, observation and registration of physical research. In the center of the experimental field, a 37.5 meter high metal lattice tower was mounted, designed to install the RDS-1 charge. At a distance of one kilometer from the center, an underground building was erected for equipment recording the light, neutron and gamma fluxes of a nuclear explosion. To study the impact of a nuclear explosion on the experimental field, sections of metro tunnels, fragments of airfield runways were built, samples of aircraft, tanks, artillery rocket launchers, and ship superstructures of various types were placed. To support the work of the physical sector, 44 structures were built at the landfill and a cable network was laid with a length of 560 kilometers.

In June-July 1949, two groups of KB-11 workers with auxiliary equipment and household equipment were sent to the test site, and on July 24 a group of specialists arrived there, which was to take a direct part in preparing the atomic bomb for testing.

On August 5, 1949, the government commission for testing the RDS-1 gave a conclusion on the complete readiness of the test site.

On August 21, a plutonium charge and four neutron fuses were delivered by a special train to the test site, one of which was to be used to detonate a military product.

On August 24, 1949, Kurchatov arrived at the test site. By August 26, all the preparatory work at the test site was completed. The head of the experiment, Kurchatov, ordered the testing of the RDS-1 on August 29 at eight in the morning local time and to carry out preparatory operations starting at eight in the morning on August 27.

On the morning of August 27, near the central tower, the assembly of a combat product began. On the afternoon of August 28, the demolition team carried out the last full inspection of the tower, prepared the automatic equipment for detonation and checked the subversive cable line.

At four o'clock in the afternoon on August 28, a plutonium charge and neutron fuses to it were delivered to the workshop near the tower. The final assembly of the charge was completed by three in the morning on August 29. At four o'clock in the morning, assemblers rolled the product out of the assembly shop along the track and installed it in the tower's cargo lift cage, and then lifted the charge to the top of the tower. By six o'clock, the charge was completed with fuses and connected to the subversive scheme. Then the evacuation of all people from the test field began.

Due to the worsening weather, Kurchatov decided to postpone the explosion from 8.00 to 7.00.

At 6.35 the operators turned on the power to the automation system. The field machine was turned on 12 minutes before the explosion. 20 seconds before the explosion, the operator turned on the main connector (switch) connecting the product with the control automation system. From that moment on, all operations were performed by an automatic device. Six seconds before the explosion, the main mechanism of the machine turned on the power supply of the product and part of the field devices, and in one second it turned on all the other devices and issued a detonation signal.

At exactly seven o'clock on August 29, 1949, the whole area was lit up with a dazzling light, which marked that the USSR had successfully completed the development and testing of its first atomic bomb charge.

The charge capacity was 22 kilotons in TNT equivalent.

Twenty minutes after the explosion, two tanks equipped with lead shielding were sent to the center of the field to conduct radiation reconnaissance and inspect the center of the field. Reconnaissance found that all structures in the center of the field were demolished. A funnel gaped at the site of the tower, the soil in the center of the field melted, and a solid crust of slag formed. Civil buildings and industrial structures were completely or partially destroyed.

The equipment used in the experiment made it possible to carry out optical observations and measurements of the heat flow, parameters of the shock wave, characteristics of neutron and gamma radiation, to determine the level of radioactive contamination of the area in the explosion area and along the trail of the explosion cloud, to study the impact of the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion on biological objects.

For the successful development and testing of a charge for an atomic bomb, several closed decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 29, 1949 awarded orders and medals of the USSR to a large group of leading researchers, designers, and technologists; many were awarded the title of laureates of the Stalin Prize, and more than 30 people received the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

As a result of the successful test of the RDS-1, the USSR eliminated the American monopoly on the possession of atomic weapons, becoming the second nuclear power in the world.

Nuclear weapons are strategic weapons capable of solving global problems. Its use is fraught with dire consequences for all mankind. This makes the atomic bomb not only a threat but also a deterrent.

The appearance of weapons capable of putting an end to the development of mankind marked the beginning of a new era. The likelihood of a global conflict or a new world war is minimized due to the possibility of total destruction of the entire civilization.

Despite such threats, nuclear weapons remain in service with the world's leading countries. To a certain extent, it is precisely this that becomes the determining factor in international diplomacy and geopolitics.

The history of the creation of a nuclear bomb

The question of who invented the nuclear bomb has no single answer in history. The discovery of the radioactivity of uranium is considered to be a prerequisite for work on atomic weapons. In 1896, the French chemist A. Becquerel discovered the chain reaction of this element, initiating developments in nuclear physics.

In the next decade, alpha, beta and gamma rays were discovered, as well as a number of radioactive isotopes of certain chemical elements. The subsequent discovery of the law of radioactive decay of the atom was the beginning for the study of nuclear isometry.

In December 1938, German physicists O. Hahn and F. Strassmann were the first to be able to conduct a nuclear fission reaction under artificial conditions. On April 24, 1939, the German leadership was reported on the possibility of creating a new powerful explosive.

However, the German nuclear program was doomed to failure. Despite the successful advancement of scientists, the country, due to the war, constantly experienced difficulties with resources, especially with the supply of heavy water. In the later stages, research was slowed down by constant evacuations. On April 23, 1945, the developments of German scientists were captured at Haigerloch and taken to the United States.

The United States became the first country to express interest in a new invention. In 1941, significant funds were allocated for its development and creation. The first tests took place on July 16, 1945. Less than a month later, the United States used nuclear weapons for the first time, dropping two bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Own research in the field of nuclear physics in the USSR has been conducted since 1918. The Atomic Nuclear Commission was established in 1938 at the Academy of Sciences. However, with the beginning of the war, its activities in this direction were suspended.

In 1943, information about scientific work in nuclear physics was received by Soviet intelligence officers from England. Agents have been deployed to several US research centers. The information they obtained made it possible to accelerate the development of their own nuclear weapons.

The invention of the Soviet atomic bomb was led by I. Kurchatov and Y. Khariton, and they are considered the creators of the Soviet atomic bomb. Information about this became the impetus for the preparation of the United States for a preemptive war. In July 1949, the Troyan plan was developed, according to which it was planned to start hostilities on January 1, 1950.

The date was later pushed back to early 1957 so that all NATO countries could prepare and engage in the war. According to Western intelligence, a nuclear test in the USSR could have been carried out no earlier than 1954.

However, it became known in advance about the preparation of the United States for war, which forced Soviet scientists to accelerate research. In a short time, they invent and create their own nuclear bomb. On August 29, 1949, the first Soviet atomic bomb RDS-1 (special jet engine) was tested at the test site in Semipalatinsk.

Such trials thwarted the Troyan plan. From that moment on, the United States ceased to have a monopoly on nuclear weapons. Regardless of the strength of the preemptive strike, the risk of retaliation remained, which threatened to disaster. From that moment on, the most terrible weapon became the guarantor of peace between the great powers.

Principle of operation

The principle of operation of the atomic bomb is based on a chain reaction of decay of heavy nuclei or thermonuclear synthesis of light nuclei. In the course of these processes, a huge amount of energy is released, which turns the bomb into a weapon of mass destruction.

On September 24, 1951, the RDS-2 was tested. They could already be delivered to the launch points so that they could reach the United States. On October 18, the RDS-3 was tested, delivered by a bomber.

Further tests turned to thermonuclear fusion. The first tests of such a bomb in the United States took place on November 1, 1952. In the USSR, such a warhead was tested after 8 months.

TX nuclear bomb

Nuclear bombs do not have clear characteristics due to the variety of uses of such ammunition. However, there are a number of general aspects that must be taken into account when creating this weapon.

These include:

axisymmetric structure of the bomb - all blocks and systems are placed in pairs in cylindrical, spherocylindrical or conical containers;
when designing, they reduce the mass of a nuclear bomb by combining power units, choosing the optimal shape of shells and compartments, as well as using more durable materials;
the number of wires and connectors is minimized, and a pneumatic line or an explosive cord is used to transmit the impact;
blocking of the main units is carried out with the help of partitions destroyed by pyro charges;
active substances are pumped using a separate container or external carrier.

Taking into account the requirements for the device, a nuclear bomb consists of the following components:

the body providing protection of the ammunition from physical and thermal effects - divided into compartments, can be equipped with a power frame;
nuclear charge with power support;
self-destruction system with its integration into a nuclear charge;
a power source designed for long-term storage - it is activated already at the launch of the rocket;
external sensors - to collect information;
cocking, control and detonation systems, the latter is embedded in the charge;
systems for diagnostics, heating and maintaining the microclimate inside the sealed compartments.

Depending on the type of nuclear bomb, other systems are also integrated into it. These may include a flight sensor, a blocking console, calculation of flight options, an autopilot. In some munitions, jammers are also used, designed to reduce the resistance to a nuclear bomb.

The consequences of using such a bomb

The "ideal" consequences of the use of nuclear weapons were already recorded when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The charge exploded at an altitude of 200 meters, causing a strong shock wave. In many homes, coal-fired stoves were overturned, leading to fires even outside the affected area.

The flash of light was followed by heatstroke, which lasted only a few seconds. However, its power was sufficient to melt tiles and quartz within a radius of 4 km, as well as to spray telegraph poles.

The heat wave was followed by a shock wave. The wind speed reached 800 km / h, its gust destroyed almost all buildings in the city. Of the 76 thousand buildings, about 6 thousand partially survived, the rest were completely destroyed.

The heatwave, as well as the rising steam and ash, caused strong condensation in the atmosphere. A few minutes later it began to rain with drops black with ash. Their contact with the skin caused severe, incurable burns.

People who were within 800 meters of the epicenter of the explosion were burnt to dust. The rest were exposed to radiation and radiation sickness. Its symptoms were weakness, nausea, vomiting, fever. A sharp decrease in the number of white cells was observed in the blood.

About 70 thousand people were killed in seconds. The same number later died from wounds and burns.

After 3 days, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki with similar consequences.

The world's nuclear stockpiles

The main stocks of nuclear weapons are concentrated in Russia and the United States. In addition to them, the following countries have atomic bombs:

Great Britain - since 1952;
France - since 1960;
China - since 1964;
India - since 1974;
Pakistan - since 1998;
DPRK - since 2008.

Israel also possesses nuclear weapons, although no official confirmation from the country's leadership has been received.

The history of human development has always accompanied war as a way of resolving conflicts by violence. Civilization has suffered more than fifteen thousand small and large armed conflicts, the loss of human lives is estimated in the millions. In the nineties of the last century alone, more than a hundred military clashes took place, involving ninety countries of the world.

At the same time, scientific discoveries and technological progress have made it possible to create weapons of destruction with increasing power and sophistication of use. In the twentieth century nuclear weapons became the peak of mass destructive impact and a policy tool.

Atomic bomb device

Modern nuclear bombs as a means of engaging the enemy are created on the basis of advanced technical solutions, the essence of which is not widely publicized. But the main elements inherent in this type of weapon can be seen on the example of the device of a nuclear bomb with the code name "Fat Man", dropped in 1945 on one of the cities of Japan.

The explosion power was equal to 22.0 kt in TNT equivalent.

She had the following design features:

the length of the item was 3250.0 mm, while the diameter of the volumetric part was 1520.0 mm. Total weight over 4.5 tons;
the body is elliptical. In order to avoid premature destruction due to the ingress of anti-aircraft ammunition and unwanted influences of a different kind, 9.5 mm armored steel was used for its manufacture;
the body is divided into four internal parts: a nose, two halves of an ellipsoid (the main one is a compartment for a nuclear filling), a tail.
the bow compartment is equipped with rechargeable batteries;
the main compartment, like the nasal compartment, is evacuated to prevent the ingress of harmful media, moisture, and create comfortable conditions for the work of the beard sensor;
the ellipsoid contained a plutonium core surrounded by a uranium tamper (shell). It played the role of an inertial limiter for the course of a nuclear reaction, ensuring maximum activity of weapons-grade plutonium by reflecting neutrons to the side of the active zone of the charge.

A primary source of neutrons, called an initiator or "hedgehog", was placed inside the nucleus. Presented by beryllium spherical shape with a diameter 20.0 mm with an outer coating based on polonium - 210.

It should be noted that the expert community has determined such a design of a nuclear weapon to be ineffective and unreliable in use. Uncontrolled neutron initiation was not used further .

Operating principle

The process of fission of the nuclei of uranium 235 (233) and plutonium 239 (this is what a nuclear bomb consists of) with a huge release of energy with a limited volume is called a nuclear explosion. The atomic structure of radioactive metals is unstable - they are constantly being divided into other elements.

The process is accompanied by the detachment of neurons, some of which fall on neighboring atoms, initiate a further reaction, accompanied by the release of energy.

The principle is as follows: shortening the decay time leads to a greater intensity of the process, and the concentration of neurons on the bombardment of nuclei leads to a chain reaction. When two elements are combined to a critical mass, a supercritical mass will be created, leading to an explosion.

In domestic conditions, it is impossible to provoke an active reaction - high speeds of convergence of elements are needed - at least 2.5 km / s. Achievement of this velocity in a bomb is possible when using combining types of explosives (fast and slow), balancing the density of the supercritical mass, producing an atomic explosion.

Nuclear explosions refer to the results of human activities on the planet or its orbit. Natural processes of this kind are possible only on some stars in outer space.

Atomic bombs are rightfully considered the most powerful and destructive weapons of mass destruction. Tactical application solves the tasks of destroying strategic, military objects of ground and deep-based, destruction of a significant accumulation of equipment and manpower of the enemy.

It can be applied globally only in pursuit of the goal of complete extermination of the population and infrastructure in large areas.

To achieve certain goals, to fulfill tasks of a tactical and strategic nature, the detonation of atomic weapons can be carried out:

at critical and low altitudes (above and below 30.0 km);
in direct contact with the earth's crust (water);
underground (or underwater explosion).

A nuclear explosion is characterized by the instantaneous release of enormous energy.

Leading to the defeat of objects and a person as follows:

Shock wave. When an explosion above or on the earth's crust (water) is called an air wave, underground (water) is called a seismic explosion wave. An air wave is formed after a critical compression of air masses and propagates in a circle until attenuation at a speed exceeding sound. It leads to both direct damage to manpower and indirect (interaction with fragments of destroyed objects). The action of excess pressure makes the technique non-functional by moving and hitting the ground;
Light radiation. The source is the light part formed by the evaporation of the product with air masses, in case of ground use - soil vapor. Exposure occurs in the ultraviolet and infrared spectra. Its absorption by objects and people provokes charring, melting and burning. The degree of damage depends on the removal of the epicenter;
Penetrating radiation - these are neutrons and gamma rays moving from the place of rupture. Exposure to biological tissues leads to ionization of cell molecules, leading to radiation sickness of the body. The destruction of property is associated with reactions of fission of molecules in the damaging elements of ammunition.
Radioactive contamination. With a ground explosion, soil vapors, dust and other things rise. A cloud appears, moving in the direction of movement of air masses. Sources of destruction are represented by fission products of the active part of a nuclear weapon, isotopes, and not destroyed parts of the charge. When the radioactive cloud moves, a continuous radiation contamination of the area occurs;
Electromagnetic impulse. The explosion accompanies the appearance of electromagnetic fields (from 1.0 to 1000 m) in the form of a pulse. They lead to the failure of electrical devices, controls and communications.

The combination of factors of a nuclear explosion inflicts different levels of damage to manpower, equipment and infrastructure of the enemy, and the fatalities of the consequences are associated only with the distance from its epicenter.

History of the creation of nuclear weapons

The creation of weapons using a nuclear reaction was accompanied by a number of scientific discoveries, theoretical and practical research, including:

1905 year - the theory of relativity has been created, which states that a small amount of matter is related to a significant release of energy according to the formula E \u003d mc2, where "c" represents the speed of light (by A. Einstein);
1938 year - German scientists conducted an experiment on the separation of an atom into parts by attacking uranium with neutrons, which ended successfully (O. Hann and F. Strassmann), and a physicist from Great Britain gave an explanation for the fact of energy release (R. Frisch);
1939 year - to scientists from France, that when carrying out a chain of reactions of uranium molecules, energy will be released that can produce an explosion of enormous force (Joliot-Curie).

The latter became the starting point for the invention of atomic weapons. Germany, Great Britain, USA, Japan were engaged in parallel development. The main problem was the extraction of uranium in the required volumes for conducting experiments in this area.

The problem was solved faster in the USA, having purchased raw materials from Belgium in 1940.

Within the framework of the project, called Manhattan, from the thirty-ninth to the forty-fifth year, a uranium purification plant was built, a center for the study of nuclear processes was created, and the best physicists from all over Western Europe were involved in it.

Great Britain, which was conducting its own development, was forced, after the German bombing, to voluntarily transfer the developments on its project to the US military.

It is believed that the Americans are the first to invent the atomic bomb. The tests of the first nuclear charge were carried out in New Mexico in July 1945. The flash from the explosion eclipsed the sky, and the sandy landscape turned to glass. After a short period of time, nuclear charges called "Baby" and "Fat Man" were created.

Nuclear weapons in the USSR - dates and events

The formation of the USSR as a nuclear power was preceded by the long-term work of individual scientists and state institutions. Key periods and significant dates of events are presented as follows:

1920 year considered the beginning of the work of Soviet scientists on atomic fission;
Since the thirties the direction of nuclear physics is becoming a priority;
October 1940 - an initiative group of physicists came up with a proposal to use atomic developments for military purposes;
In the summer of 1941 in connection with the war, the institutes of atomic energy were transferred to the rear;
Autumn 1941 years, Soviet intelligence informed the country's leadership about the start of nuclear programs in Britain and America;
September 1942 - studies of the atom began to be done in full, work on uranium continued;
February 1943 - a special research laboratory was created under the leadership of I. Kurchatov, and V. Molotov was entrusted with general management;

The project was supervised by V. Molotov.

August 1945 - in connection with the nuclear bombing in Japan, the high importance of developments for the USSR, a Special Committee was created under the leadership of L. Beria;
April 1946 - KB-11 was created, which began to develop samples of Soviet nuclear weapons in two versions (using plutonium and uranium);
Mid 1948 - work on uranium was terminated due to low efficiency at high costs;
August 1949 - when the atomic bomb was invented in the USSR, the first Soviet nuclear bomb was tested.

The reduction in the development time of the product was facilitated by the high-quality work of the intelligence agencies, which were able to obtain information on American nuclear developments. Among those who were the first to create the atomic bomb in the USSR was a team of scientists led by Academician A. Sakharov. They developed more advanced technical solutions than those used by the Americans.

The atomic bomb "RDS-1"

In 2015-2017, Russia made a breakthrough in improving nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles, thereby declaring a state capable of repelling any aggression.

The first tests of the atomic bomb

After the test of an experimental nuclear bomb in New Mexico in the summer of 1945, the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed on August 6 and 9, respectively.

the development of the atomic bomb was completed this year

In 1949, under conditions of increased secrecy, Soviet designers KB - 11 and a scientist completed the development of an atomic bomb, which was called RDS-1 (jet engine "S"). On August 29, the first Soviet nuclear device was tested at the Semipalatinsk test site. The atomic bomb of Russia - RDS-1 was a "drop-shaped" product, weighing 4.6 tons, a volumetric part of 1.5 m in diameter, and 3.7 meters long.

The active part included a plutonium block, which made it possible to achieve an explosion power of 20.0 kilotons commensurate with TNT. The test site covered a radius of twenty kilometers. The specifics of the conditions of the test detonation have not yet been made public.

On September 3 of the same year, American aviation reconnaissance established the presence of traces of isotopes in the air masses of Kamchatka, indicating that a nuclear charge was being tested. On the twenty-third, the first person in the United States publicly announced that the USSR had succeeded in testing an atomic bomb.