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	Podcast:		Cold War Cast
	Episode:		The Soviets Get The A-Bomb!
	Category:		Society & Culture
	Duration:		00:25:39
	Publish Date:		2018-03-21 09:42:46
	Description:		In August of 1949, The Soviets test an atomic bomb on the steppes of Kazakhstan. They kept it under wraps initially, but the US figured it out due to atmospheric testing – and found they weren’t alone anymore in the atomic club. It was taken for granted that someday other countries would get the bomb, but no one figured it would be this soon. The Soviets having the bomb forced the US to revisit some strategic considerations as their “ace in the hole” of atomic superiority on the potential battlefield was equalized – now the Reds have the numbers AND the bomb! Realistically, they were still behind the US (and that’s why they kept the test secret initially) but they would rapidly develop – as would the US, who kicked the H-bomb development into high gear. Although technically the nuclear/atomic arms race had been going on for a while, this is where we see it really take the shape that became such a huge part of the Cold War.
	Total Play:		0