How did the USSR get its nukes?
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Date: 2023-09-06
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Comments and reviews: 19
Fernandinio
My Great Grandfather (Manfred von Ardenne) himself was one of the leading scientist contributing to the Soviet Atomic Bomb Project. As he was German he was taken after the war by the Soviets under Beria and he was one of the leading scientist stationed and isolated in today Georgia working to enrich the Uranium, completely cut of of the world with many other German scientists. He was working there until the completion of the hydrogen bomb, where he was awarded the Stalin prize first grade, as well as allowed to return to East Germany. Therefore, I really have to say this video is just great portraying all the different compositions of the project in just 3 minutes. A+ from me.
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My Great Grandfather (Manfred von Ardenne) himself was one of the leading scientist contributing to the Soviet Atomic Bomb Project. As he was German he was taken after the war by the Soviets under Beria and he was one of the leading scientist stationed and isolated in today Georgia working to enrich the Uranium, completely cut of of the world with many other German scientists. He was working there until the completion of the hydrogen bomb, where he was awarded the Stalin prize first grade, as well as allowed to return to East Germany. Therefore, I really have to say this video is just great portraying all the different compositions of the project in just 3 minutes. A+ from me.
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Jarrod
The USSR discovered uranium ore during the war and used that to eventually create plutonium, which is not a naturally occurring element in any useful amount. They had uranium ore mines by 1942, starting with a mine in Taboshar (now Istiqlol, Tajikistan, and adding several more sites over the ensuing years. They developed plutonium from that by bombarding U-238 with neutrons to form U-239, which decays to Np-239, which then decays to Pu-239, then using various processes to isolate the plutonium, just as the US did.
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The USSR discovered uranium ore during the war and used that to eventually create plutonium, which is not a naturally occurring element in any useful amount. They had uranium ore mines by 1942, starting with a mine in Taboshar (now Istiqlol, Tajikistan, and adding several more sites over the ensuing years. They developed plutonium from that by bombarding U-238 with neutrons to form U-239, which decays to Np-239, which then decays to Pu-239, then using various processes to isolate the plutonium, just as the US did.
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Draxis32
One curious thing to notice is that during The Potsdam conference, where all the allied forces met, Truman said to Stalin that they had a new kind of weapon one day after the Trinity test. And is said that Stalin just nodded to Truman, almost saying I know. When he most likely knew of the successful test because of his spy's work.
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One curious thing to notice is that during The Potsdam conference, where all the allied forces met, Truman said to Stalin that they had a new kind of weapon one day after the Trinity test. And is said that Stalin just nodded to Truman, almost saying I know. When he most likely knew of the successful test because of his spy's work.
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Mr.
Good summary, but Plutonium is made in reactors from Uranium you have to mine. Its not naturally occuring thankfully. Enriched uranium is the alternative. Both were used by the US. Enriching Uranium is very expensive. Making Plutonium in reactors and refining is not exactly easy either and a lot more hazardous -hence slave labor.
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Good summary, but Plutonium is made in reactors from Uranium you have to mine. Its not naturally occuring thankfully. Enriched uranium is the alternative. Both were used by the US. Enriching Uranium is very expensive. Making Plutonium in reactors and refining is not exactly easy either and a lot more hazardous -hence slave labor.
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Henrique
How did the USSR get its nukes?
As the country with the possible best spy agency of the world who time and time again infiltrated the USA. I didn't watch it yet, but I'm gonna bet it's not that simple as i'm thinking if there's a video for it.
_What? I don't know it all. _
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How did the USSR get its nukes?
As the country with the possible best spy agency of the world who time and time again infiltrated the USA. I didn't watch it yet, but I'm gonna bet it's not that simple as i'm thinking if there's a video for it.
_What? I don't know it all. _
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CrashBooch
Enjoyed this one, you've come quite far since dropping 10 Minute History. Hope things continue onward without trouble on your part.
I don't have much to add in terms of how I'd think you could improve, just a video suggestion, why did the USA not take Spain's African colonies?
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Enjoyed this one, you've come quite far since dropping 10 Minute History. Hope things continue onward without trouble on your part.
I don't have much to add in terms of how I'd think you could improve, just a video suggestion, why did the USA not take Spain's African colonies?
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Douglas
One minor correction, the Soviets didn't mine plutonium as it's only in the Earth's crust in trace amounts. The issue was they couldn't enrich their uranium to weapons grade (an expensive and difficult process, so they converted it to plutonium in breeder reactors instead.
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One minor correction, the Soviets didn't mine plutonium as it's only in the Earth's crust in trace amounts. The issue was they couldn't enrich their uranium to weapons grade (an expensive and difficult process, so they converted it to plutonium in breeder reactors instead.
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harbl99
How did the USSR get all its nuclear weapons? Goes directly to Why do you think it's no problem that your wife, brother, sister-in-law, and half your social circle are all card-carrying Communists, Julius? Do you not see a possible conflict of interest there?
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How did the USSR get all its nuclear weapons? Goes directly to Why do you think it's no problem that your wife, brother, sister-in-law, and half your social circle are all card-carrying Communists, Julius? Do you not see a possible conflict of interest there?
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Robert
I like your work, but this one is a miss. Plutonium is never mined, it is obtained from uranium by bombarding the latter with neutrons, causing U238 to transmute into the former, which can then be chemically separated from everything else.
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I like your work, but this one is a miss. Plutonium is never mined, it is obtained from uranium by bombarding the latter with neutrons, causing U238 to transmute into the former, which can then be chemically separated from everything else.
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Corey
Yes. all the secrets stolen were just used to check progress, after starting from scratch
They definitely never made use of those secrets. No way. Just like the Chinese definitely didn't steal nuclear secrets from the USSR & US either.
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Yes. all the secrets stolen were just used to check progress, after starting from scratch
They definitely never made use of those secrets. No way. Just like the Chinese definitely didn't steal nuclear secrets from the USSR & US either.
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K. A. R. E. L.
You left out the part where USSR was using its satellites for nuclear fuel. Like Czechoslovakia which was selling its uraninite dirt cheap and basically introduced slave labour for the sole purpose to give soviets fuel for nukes
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You left out the part where USSR was using its satellites for nuclear fuel. Like Czechoslovakia which was selling its uraninite dirt cheap and basically introduced slave labour for the sole purpose to give soviets fuel for nukes
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Phosphorus51
Slight correction: Plutonium wasn't mined in the Urals, as plutonium does not occur in nature in quantities feasible to collect. It's synthesized from Uranium. The project in the Urals was a nuclear reactor for this purpose.
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Slight correction: Plutonium wasn't mined in the Urals, as plutonium does not occur in nature in quantities feasible to collect. It's synthesized from Uranium. The project in the Urals was a nuclear reactor for this purpose.
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Grayg
just a small correction. Nikolai Yezhov was'nt exactly stalined as his execution was masterminded by Beria himself so that he could control the NKVD, Just like how Yezhov had conspired agaisnt Yagoda to become the head of the NKVD
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just a small correction. Nikolai Yezhov was'nt exactly stalined as his execution was masterminded by Beria himself so that he could control the NKVD, Just like how Yezhov had conspired agaisnt Yagoda to become the head of the NKVD
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Vincent
Why exactly was somewhere around the series A. H. character changed to look more like he s from South America tho? First design was fine. Contents and informative parts are still great, just bothered my curiosity somewhat lol
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Why exactly was somewhere around the series A. H. character changed to look more like he s from South America tho? First design was fine. Contents and informative parts are still great, just bothered my curiosity somewhat lol
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Shan
Yet another recommendation for The Death of Stalin and also if you can find it, a not entirely dissimilar film from 1983 called Red Monarch for a bit of a feel of what it was like at the upper echelons of the Soviet leadership.
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Yet another recommendation for The Death of Stalin and also if you can find it, a not entirely dissimilar film from 1983 called Red Monarch for a bit of a feel of what it was like at the upper echelons of the Soviet leadership.
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Emilio
Idea For A Video
If Communists In South Vietnam Formed A Guerilla To Overthrow The Capitalist Regime (Vietcong) Did North Vietnam Had A Capitalist Guerrila That Fought To Make The North Capitalist?
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Idea For A Video
If Communists In South Vietnam Formed A Guerilla To Overthrow The Capitalist Regime (Vietcong) Did North Vietnam Had A Capitalist Guerrila That Fought To Make The North Capitalist?
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Lonecom
Man, I could swear you had posted this video before a while ago. But not. You just mentioned the USSR in your other videos on this series.
My friend thought the same. What a Mandela effect!
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Man, I could swear you had posted this video before a while ago. But not. You just mentioned the USSR in your other videos on this series.
My friend thought the same. What a Mandela effect!
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Lawrence
My understanding is that only trace amounts of Plutonium exists in nature, and that with Uranium deposits, so the Sovie3ts wouldn't have mined Plutonium, they produced it in nuclear reactors.
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My understanding is that only trace amounts of Plutonium exists in nature, and that with Uranium deposits, so the Sovie3ts wouldn't have mined Plutonium, they produced it in nuclear reactors.
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education
You explained the money thing wrong. The USSR had its own currency so it could always acquire everything, what is sold in Rubels. A country can not go bankrupt in its own currency.
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You explained the money thing wrong. The USSR had its own currency so it could always acquire everything, what is sold in Rubels. A country can not go bankrupt in its own currency.
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