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Fear that someone else would build them first and attack the US or our allies.

During World War 2 the "someone" was Nazi Germany and the nuclear weapon was the atomic fission bomb, during the Cold War the "someone" was the USSR and the nuclear weapon was the hydrogen fusion bomb.

The US clearly won the race with Nazi Germany as their project derailed early due to multiple errors and oversights by their scientists and the work was redirected away from bombs to prototype reactors, however the US and USSR both developed and fielded practical megaton range hydrogen bombs in the same year: 1955, making that race effectively a tie!!!

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Q: Why were nuclear weapons even considered to be built?
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Why did the cold war result in an arms race?

Because there was no true defense against nuclear weapons. Once both sides had nuclear weapons, the only way to "protect" themselves from the other side was to have so many more nuclear weapons that even if their enemies used all of their nuclear weapons, there would still be nuclear weapons to shoot back with. That way, nobody would use nuclear weapons, because they could never actually "win" that way. This thought process was referred to as Mutually Assured Destruction, or MAD.


Why weren't nuclear weapons used during the Vietnam war?

Fear that the North Vietnamese would obtain nuclear weapons themselves (from Russia or China) and use them on South Vietnam or even on America.


Why were nuclear weapons designed?

to attck the countries that hurt the u.s , such as hiroshima. even though they are very destructive.


How do weapons of mass destruction prevent war?

Nuclear weapons serve as a deterrent. One country will be less likely to attack another that it knows has nuclear capability because of the destruction that could be wrought by nuclear weapons. This theory is called MAD or Mutually Assured Destruction, meaning that both sides would destroy each other so utterly by going to war that peace (even bitter cold peace) is the only viable option. Biological and Chemical weapons, which are also called weapons of mass destruction, do not have this deterrent effect.


Nuclear Weapons Related Material must be accounted for and managed by what two details?

Usually the quantity of fissile material must be accounted for to the milligram, even though there are tons of it in stock.

Related questions

Does Kenya have nuclear weapons?

No. Even if Kenya has plans concerning nuclear technology it is totally against nuclear weapons. In fact, obeys th NPT and it's pursuing the idea of the total elimination of nuclear weapons


What branch of science is nuclear weapons?

Nuclear Weapons Engineering - requires a Top Secret-Q clearance to even study it.


Why are nuclear weapons a good thing?

Nuclear weapons are a good thing for the United States because they prevent others from using nuclear weapons on the US. In general, the world would probably be a better place without nuclear weapons if it weren't for the fact that they lead to research in all fields of Nuclear Engineering, like Nuclear Power plants and Nuclear Physics. Since nuclear weapons already exist in the world, for the US to get rid of their nuclear weapons would be unwise. Countries that dislike nuclear weapons or even radical terrorist cells and organizations would now have no reason not to launch a nuclear warhead at the US since no retaliation would occur. The strategy of nuclear weapons preventing others from using them against the US is called the Deterrent Strategy.


What are the disadvantages of building nuclear weapons and plants?

Well their are no disadvantages to nuclear plants, if your using them for nuclear power, as nuclear power is the safest type of energy in modern times. However disadvantages of nuclear weapons include well the ending of the planet, the possibility of it being stolen by terrorists or even it being spied on for another nation so it can create nuclear weapons.


Why did the cold war result in an arms race?

Because there was no true defense against nuclear weapons. Once both sides had nuclear weapons, the only way to "protect" themselves from the other side was to have so many more nuclear weapons that even if their enemies used all of their nuclear weapons, there would still be nuclear weapons to shoot back with. That way, nobody would use nuclear weapons, because they could never actually "win" that way. This thought process was referred to as Mutually Assured Destruction, or MAD.


Why weren't nuclear weapons used during the Vietnam war?

Fear that the North Vietnamese would obtain nuclear weapons themselves (from Russia or China) and use them on South Vietnam or even on America.


What does Indonesia have to do with the Nuclear nonproliferation treaty?

Indonesia hasn't signed or ratified the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Even though they use nuclear power they don't have any nuclear weapons that we know of.


How does it make you feel to know that most of the nuclear weapons in the Soviet and US arsenals remain ready for use even in the post-Cold War era?

Actually this is false most of the Cold War era nuclear weapons have been destroyed.At the peak of the Cold War the U.S. had about 10,000 strategic and 20,000 tactical nuclear weapons and the USSR had about 10,000 strategic and 30,000 tactical nuclear weapons.Following the signing of START both sides agreed to destroy all tactical nuclear weapons and reduce strategic nuclear weapons slowly over a period of time.At this time both the U.S. and Russia have about 3,500 strategic nuclear weapons each and no tactical nuclear weapons (although some people say that Russia secretly maintains about 1,000 tactical nuclear weapons).So, from a peak of about 70,000 nuclear weapons during the Cold War to about 7,000 nuclear weapons now, only about 10% of the weapons then available still remain ready for use.


Did japan have a nuclear weapons program?

A small one, aimed mostly at nuclear power. But it never even got a functioning prototype reactor.


Does Liberia have nuclear weapons?

Your joking right? Even if in our wildest dreams they had one they wouldn't even know what to do with it other then shoot at it.


Why were nuclear weapons designed?

to attck the countries that hurt the u.s , such as hiroshima. even though they are very destructive.


Is nuclear weapons essential for this world?

No way..!! In my opinion I think that nuclear weapons are not at all necessary or essential for this world....today people might say that they are necessary for national security and all....but what about the time when nuclear weapons were not even created..?? Even then there used to be wars and many people died as a result...but today...if you drop a nuclear bomb not only deaths occur but also the environment is damaged...more killings of the innocent occur...They might be able to scare away another country from attacking but....once a war starts and there is usage of nuclear weapons.....there is much much more damage that takes place than it would really have if nuclear weapons would not have existed... both on mankind and the nature...!!!