History glossary
Hydrogen bomb
a fusion-based nuclear weapon far more powerful than the atomic bombs used in 1945.
- Category
- Weapon
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- from 1952
What it means
A hydrogen bomb is a thermonuclear weapon that uses fusion reactions to produce vastly greater explosive force than early atomic bombs. Its arrival in the 1950s intensified the arms race and made Cold War nuclear planning more destructive.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Cold War
Rivalry between East and West shapes global politics - through proxy wars, propaganda, and nuclear tension.
Origins of the Cold War
From the Grand Alliance to the Truman Doctrine, this story traces how the United States and Soviet Union shifted from wartime cooperation to global confrontation.
