Thursday, February 13, 2020

Soviet Unions Decision to Acquire Nuclear Weapons and how it Overcame Essay

Soviet Unions Decision to Acquire Nuclear Weapons and how it Overcame the Obstacles to Acquire Nuclear Weapons - Essay Example The use of nuclear weapons by the US at the end of the second world war and the fact that they kept it as a secret from the Soviet Union has created a fear for Soviet leadership that they might use it for dominating them (Krieger, 2005). The decision to make nuclear weapons was a political decision of Stalin. He made the decision in the same year the Second World War ended (Reed, 2010). It took only four years for Soviet Union to become nuclear. The first nuclear weapon that they fired was a copy of the bomb dropped in Nagasaki by the US. It added to their prestige and deterrent potential. The Soviet effort to develop nuclear weapon was led by Igor Kurchatov at a secret site known as Arzamas-16 (Cold War: A Brief History, 2011). They were helped by spies inside the Manhattan project, most notably by Klaus Fuchs. Fuchs had German origin, but took British citizenship and was send to US to work on the atom bomb. He passed detailed information on the project to the Soviet Union through a courier in 1945 (Klaus Fuchs , 2011). Using the detailed description made by Klaus Fuchs, Soviets constructed a similar copy of the Fat Man bomb (Cold War: A Brief History). It was tested at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan on August 29, 1949 and its estimated yield was about 22 kilotons (Cold War: A Brief History). He also passed information regarding hydrogen bomb in 1946 an 1947, but that were not very useful. Reports of the unusual explosive force of the atomic bomb appeared in Soviet press for the first time in Pravda on 13th October 1941. Medvedev (n.d.) points out that the release of a spontaneous chain reaction by the fission of uranium-235, which had been done in 1938 in Germany by Otto Hahn, and by Frederic Joliet-Curie in France, was independently discovered by the young Soviet physicists Georgy Flerov in Leningrad and Yulii Khariton in Moscow in 1939. In the United States, the possibility of developing atomic bomb was discussed in the press in 1940. Flerov beli eved that research was taking place in Germany and the US in the field of uranium fission. He sent a letter to Stalin saying that nothing is being published about the nuclear program and there is something suspicious (Soviet Atomic Bomb Project, 2011). In that letter, he wrote, â€Å"we must build uranium bomb without delay (Thomas B. Cochran, 1995)†. Intelligence officials of Moscow had definite information about this. In the Soviet system during that period, only Stalin got all secret intelligence information. Medvedev argues that the intelligence communications about the atom bomb were also seen and considered firstly by Stalin. In 1942, the Soviet secret service received information from Cairncross, Fuchs and Pontecorvo. They were diehard communists. Klaus Fuchs was a physicist and atomic scientist who left Germany in 1933. John Cairncross was the secretary of Lord Hankey, one of the war ministers of the War Cabinet. Bruno Pontecorvo, was an Italian emigre and close colla borator of the famous Enrico Fermi, who, in 1942, was the first person in the world to construct a nuclear reactor (Medvedev). They send information as goodwill and on their own initiative. Much of the information passed by them was scientific in nature and only a physicist could understand them. In May-June 1942, Kaftanov reported on a letter addressed to Stalin from the physicist Flerov, who explained in a much clearer way what the atomic bomb represented, and why Germany or the USA could possess this bomb in the not too distant future (Medvedev). On hearing Kaftanov’s report, Stalin walked about a little in his Kremlin office, thought, and said ‘it is necessary to act’ (Medvedev). By this time, the intelligence departments have gathered 2000 pages of technical information regarding atomic

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Globalgiving and environmental study of the organization Essay

Globalgiving and environmental study of the organization - Essay Example The present study focuses on an analysis of the environmental factors associated with the registered charity thus studying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and realizing the competitive advantage of the organization in regard to its objectives and goals. In order to develop plans for any new project, or business and for the purpose of its marketing, often the need for a charity might occur. In such cases, registered charities are essential for the purpose to be fulfilled. Globalgiving is one such registered charity organization that allows the donation from donors in different projects as well as assist in the initiation of new projects across the US and the UK. The Globalgiving provides with the opportunities of getting connected to large number of donors as well as project initiators thus enhancing the chances and of the project or the business to reach out in the public. Through Globalgiving, the new projects have the opportunity to present their ideas and caus es behind along with contribution from the different donors for the successful achievement of the plan. In other words, new plans get the opportunity to raise funds by presenting their thoughts and participating in the challenges as organized by the organization. The micro environment factors associated with an organization include its customers, employees, suppliers, competitors, shareholders as well as the media. As far as the Globalgiving charity organization is concerned, the most effectively working factor is an excellent team. The organization believes in hiring people who are ardent and committed to their work. The purpose of the organization is to consider all the new and good plans for the achievement of a better world to live in. The team is accordingly worked out thus accepting and supporting the new and exciting plans for the common masses, as proposed by different individuals or groups (Our team, 2011). In regard to the customers and suppliers of the organization, it ca n be obtained that Globalgiving efficiently brings in the connection between the individuals or groups who are interested to donate for the causes and those who come up with the new plans and projects to be listed in the charity (How Globalgiving works, 2011). The macro environmental factors can be understood to be associated with the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal implications as reflected by the charity organization. As far as the Globalgiving charity is concerned, it can be realized that the organization has created a position of its own in the industry thereby having donors and new projects listed for its website. Its tendency of welcoming new plans can be understood to have a positive effect on the society as well as the economic conditions of business in a country. However, in this context it can also be stated that success of the organization and support of the new plans might be expected to create newer competitors for the charity organiz ations. In regard to Globalgiving as well, several other registered charities are available across the US and the UK