Why were nuclear weapons important during the Cold War?

To help discourage Soviet communist expansion, the United States built more atomic weaponry. But in 1949, the Soviets tested their own atomic bomb, and the Cold War nuclear arms race was on.

What was a consequence of the use of nuclear weapons against Japan in World War 2?

By the end of 1945, the bombing had killed an estimated 140,000 people in Hiroshima, and a further 74,000 in Nagasaki. In the years that followed, many of the survivors would face leukemia, cancer, or other terrible side effects from the radiation.

How many nuclear weapons existed during the Cold War?

During the Cold War the United States maintained a “triad” of ICBMs, SLBMs, and heavy bombers in a strategic nuclear arsenal of more than 10,000 warheads. During the 1990s, the United States reduced the size of this arsenal to around 7,000 warheads , but maintained all three legs of the triad.

What would have happened to the world without nuclear weapons?

Without nuclear weapons, we would have already had a WW3 with a high certainty. The prospect of a nuclear war and a complete destruction aftermath forced the major powers to rethink war.

When did the number of nuclear weapons in the world peak?

This chart shows that the total number of nuclear weapons in the world peaked in 1986. It is, however, worth remembering that the destructive power of each nuclear warhead has increased significantly since the first atomic weapons used in the Second World War.

How much do you know about the world’s nuclear weapons?

If you have expertise in this area and would like to contribute, apply here to join us as a researcher. The world’s nuclear powers have more than 10,000 nuclear warheads in their arsenals. These weapons have the capacity to kill millions directly and through their impact on agriculture have likely the potential to kill billions. 1

Was the Cold War the most active period in nuclear weapons development?

It is, however, worth remembering that the destructive power of each nuclear warhead has increased significantly since the first atomic weapons used in the Second World War. If we consider the number of nuclear weapons tests, we can see that the Cold War was a very active period of nuclear weapons development.