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The U.S. drops the first ever atomic bomb.
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Truman gives nuclear control from military to civilian hands and sets up the AEC. These people have the potential to oversee thermonuclear weapons as well.
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The soviets drop their first A-Bomb. This causes panic in the U.S. because experts did not believe they would be able to discover the technology quickly enough,
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Sometime shortly after the Soviet nuclear weapon detonation, Lewis Strauss pushes for the discovery of new thermonuclear weapons in order to gain an advantage over the Soviets. This eventually leads to the idea of the Hydrogen bomb.
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Sometime in October, David Lilenthal, the main adversary of atomic bomb production, submitted a report to Truman suggesting that he not Pursue H-Bomb production. Lilenthal was put on a committee with two other scientists who both supported the H-Bomb.
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Sometime in January 1950, the committee on thermonuclear weapons that Truman created reached a split decision: Advisors Dean Acheson and Luis Johnson wanted to pursue H-Bomb production and Lilenthal still remained Steadfast in his opposition.
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Truman is surprised when he is aksed by a reporter about his plans for the new "super" bomb. Even though this information was not supposed to be leaked in the first place, Truman reveals his plans to continue research on the H-Bomb in front of the world in a press conference,
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Klaus Fuchs, a german native, is arrested by the British for selling secrets he received from working as a scientist on the Manhattan project to the Soviets. This act of espionage only solidified Trumans opinion that H-Bomb production must be pursued.
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Truman Directs the Atomic Engergy Commission to develop a specific program for the Production of H bombs.
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Dr. Richard L. Garwin and Edward Teller finalize their design for the hydrogen bomb.
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Ivy Mike, the firrst Hydrogen bomb, was detonated by the U.S. This new hydrogen bomb is different from an atomic bomb because it relies primarily upon atomic fusion, whereas the atomic bomb relies on fission.