Espionage In The Atomic Bomb Project

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I- Introduction
a. Within the last 20 years, KGB documents and documents from the Venona project were released that shed light on the role that espionage played in the development of the Soviet atomic bomb project.
b. Advanced state in physics and scientific achievements of USSR in the realm of nuclear physics
c. Thesis: Despite both the reported advanced state of USSR nuclear physics and the scientific achievement by USSR scientists prior to World War II, evidence found suggests that the Soviet spies played an important role in the development of the Soviet Bomb. The Soviets did not truly develop their own bomb, but instead copied American nuclear information obtained by Soviet spies in order to develop their plutonium bomb.
d. Release of KGB documents and Venona documents in the US regarding the role of espionage in
II- Scientific Capacity of USSR – Pre World War II
a. Josephson states the Soviet Scientists had the scientific capacity to develop atomic weapons program
i. Uses significant scientific contributions made by Soviet physicists as evidence supporting claim
b. Advanced scientific capacity is obvious by the numerous international awards received by Soviet physicists prior to WWII
c. By WWII, physicists in the USSR knew that nuclear fission had international significance and could be used to create an extremely powerful bomb
i. Igor Tamm explanation of this phenomenon ii. Uranium Commission created to locate uranium deposits and measure nuclear constants In June 1940 iii. USSR had the theoretical understanding needed to develop a nuclear project
d. Holloway points that USSR lacked the western scientists vision of practical application to a bomb
i. Khoplin said that nuclear energy is a beautiful dream but a...

... middle of paper ...

...from their own scientific advancements instead of stealing technology of other countries
V- Conclusion
a. Atomic Espionage spies played a vital role in the Soviet project
b. At the time of the project, country was devastated by war and unable to provide resources for the development of bomb
c. Information provided by spies on the development of the Allied bomb saved time
i. Accounted for 50 percent of the project successes ii. Project was able to be completed in only 4 years
d. Impact of discovery of Soviet atomic espionage on Soviet- American Relations
i. Cold War powers both engaged in espionage
1. Venona project by CIA ii. IN the US, the espionage and spies became an enduring motif of the Cold War.
1. Execution of Rosenberg’s
2. Gary Powers
3. Petrov affair iii. Distrust between powers iv. Competition on technological and scientific advancement

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