Plot

History of the American and Soviet development of the H-bomb.

This documentary chronicles the development of the hydrogen bomb by both the Americans and the Soviets, from World War II to the early 1960s. After the invention of the atomic (fission) bomb brings World War II to an end, physicist Edward Teller pushes for the development of a "super" (fusion) bomb of theoretically-unlimited power. Meanwhile, the Soviets embark upon a crash program to build their own atomic bomb, using information provided by Klaus Fuchs and other spies. The Strategic Air Command (SAC) is formed to counter the Soviet military threat, with General Curtis LeMay in charge. When the United States learns of the first Soviet atomic blast, the Americans start developing the H-bomb in response. To no avail, several U.S. atomic scientists oppose the H-bomb as an immoral weapon that threatens the entire human race. After the Americans detonate their first hydrogen bombs (which are too large to be transported by air), the Soviets successfully test an air-dropped hydrogen bomb of their own "layer-cake" design developed by Soviet physicist Andrei Sakharov. The American public becomes increasingly convinced that surviving atomic war is futile, as the two superpowers continue to improve the quantity, reliability, and accuracy of their nuclear arsenals.—yortsnave