History glossary
Nuclear weapons
weapons that release enormous explosive energy from nuclear fission, fusion, or both.
- Category
- Weapon
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- from 1945
What it means
Nuclear weapons are bombs or warheads that release energy from changes inside atomic nuclei rather than ordinary chemical explosives. Atomic weapons use fission, while thermonuclear or hydrogen weapons use fusion as well, making them capable of destroying entire cities and spreading radioactive fallout.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Cold War
Rivalry between East and West shapes global politics - through proxy wars, propaganda, and nuclear tension.
The Kim Dynasty
North Korea’s Kim dynasty built a nuclear-armed regime, maintaining power through crises and control.
The Korean War
A Cold War conflict that divided Korea, ending in stalemate and a lasting unresolved border.
The Soviets
From revolution to superpower, the Soviet Union rose, struggled internally, and collapsed in 1991.
The Pacific War
From imperial expansion in Manchuria to surrender in 1945, the Pacific War remade Asia through conquest, occupation, naval warfare, and devastating defeat.
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.
The Cuban Missile Crisis
From the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba to the secret deal that ended the standoff, this story examines the most dangerous confrontation of the Cold War.
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
From Gorbachev’s reforms to the lowering of the Soviet flag over the Kremlin, this story traces the rapid unravelling of the USSR and the end of the Cold War.
