NUCLEAR STRATEGY

Mr. Klein American History II May 24, 2013

US Continues Testing Nuclear Bombs Operation Crossroads: Baker Test 1946 23 kilotons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDLgNf0XPDk&feature= related

US Nuclear Monopoly Ends

August 29, 1949

New Weapons - Thermonuclear

Nov 1, 1952
Fission/Fusion Device Hydrogen Bomb 10,000 kilotons (10 Megatons)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNcQX033V_M
Made deliverable in 1954

Soviets Get H-Bomb in 1955

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0dUIq8gHgc

How to deliver these weapons?

How to deliver these weapons?

How to deliver these weapons?

Not Just Bigger Also Smaller

Now What????
What use is there for these weapons that

can destroy major cities??

What will our strategy for using them be?

Massive Retaliation
If the Soviets invaded any part of the free world even

without firing a single nuclear weapon:

US would retaliate by launching its entire arsenal of

nuclear weapons (3,423 bombs and warheads, totaling 7,847 megatons)

Expected to kill 250-300 million Russians and Chinese

and injure 40 million more,

Unknown casualties caused by radioactive fallout all over

the world (including the US).

Problems with Massive Retaliation?

Shift to Focus on Mutually Assured Destruction (Kennedy / McNamara)