Weapon of Choice, The

Weapon of Choice, The

Spanning the time from the beginning of the Cold War to the end of fighting in Korea in 1953, "The Weapon of Choice" illustrated the mistrust and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union that led to the development and successful testing of the hydrogen bomb on both sides. Scientists had spoken on the impossibility of the U.S. retaining its nuclear monopoly and in favor of internationalizing atomic controls. The arms race had, however, its own momentum. By 1953, when the Korean war ground to a ceasefire, the U.S nuclear stockpile had tripled, totaling well over one thousand bombs, at least ten times what the Soviet Union had. As atomic arsenals expanded and figured more prominently into military and diplomatic decisions, the nuclear age entered a new era: from this time forward, both sides would risk annihilation in order to protect themselves. Written and Produced by Sue Crowther, first broadcast January 30, 1989.