The Soviet Nuclear Testing Program

Question 1

RDS-6

Answer 1

Aug 12, 1953: 1st Soviet thermonuclear test, Semipalatinsk, considered to be one of the most dangerous explosions in Soviet program, radioactive cloud, mass contamination, health conditions, radioactivity in soil and foodstuffs

Question 2

Totskoye Exercise

Answer 2

Sep 13, 1954: used to test reactions of soldiers, involved over 44 000 soldiers who had to hide in trenches while a bomb was detonated and had to simulate a battle

Question 3

Soviet Main Testing Sites

Answer 3

Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan (used for smaller explosions), Novaya Zemlya (Arctic Islands, used for bigger explosions)

Question 4

Tsar Bomba

Answer 4

Oct 31, 1961: largest thermonuclear explosion in history, 50 megatons, NZ, resulted in contamination in NZ, Alaska, and Northern Canada

Question 5

Cuban missile crisis

Answer 5

1962: at this point, USA and USSR were developing missiles that could deliver NWs, USA placed missiles in NATO countries, political changes (socialist revolutions) caught the attention of USA as Nikita Khruschev (Soviet leader) supported Fidel Castro (Cuban leader) and USA’s containment strat, USA invaded Cuba in 1961 to overthrow Castro but failed due to USSR’s support, USA notices that USSR is supplying Cuba with missiles and warned USSR to stop in 1962, John F Kennedy decides to use a naval blockade to prevent the arrival of missiles in Cuba and Khruschev decides to remove them in an agreement where USA agrees to stop any involvement in any invasion of Cuba and to remove missiles from Turkey, signified a relaxation of tensions between USA and USSR and paved the way for the LTBT

Question 6

Soviet Effects after the LTBT

Answer 6

USSR continued underground tests, which allowed it to catch up to and overtake USA in the nuclear race and gain a large NA (still the largest today)