Nuclear war facts for kids

A nuclear war is a type of war where countries fight using nuclear weapons. These weapons are super powerful. They can cause huge destruction all over the world. Because of this, the idea of a nuclear war has really changed how countries deal with each other.

So far, only two nuclear weapons have ever been used in a war. This happened during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. About 120,000 people died. Many more powerful bombs were made later, but they have not been used in fighting.

How Nuclear Weapons Began

The U.S. and USSR conducted hundreds of nuclear tests, including the Desert Rock exercises at the Nevada Test Site, USA, pictured above during the Korean War to familiarize their soldiers with conducting operations and counter-measures around nuclear detonations, as the Korean War threatened to expand.

Nuclear bombs were first made by the United States. They got help from Britain during World War II. The goal was to help end that war. After bombs were used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviet Union attacked Manchuria, Japan gave up. These are still the only times nuclear weapons have been used in a real war.

At first, only the United States had the technology to make these bombs. But within a few years, the Soviet Union also learned how to make them.

The Cold War and the Balance of Terror

After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union became enemies. This period was called the Cold War. Both countries built many nuclear weapons. But they were afraid to use them against each other. They knew that if one country attacked, the other would attack back. This would cause total destruction for both sides.

This scary situation was called the "balance of terror." It also became known as Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). It meant that if one side used nuclear weapons, both sides would be destroyed. This idea actually stopped the two superpowers from starting a third world war.

Nuclear Weapons Today

Since the Cold War ended, the tension between America and Russia has lessened. A big war seems less likely now. However, there is a new worry called nuclear proliferation. This means more countries are getting nuclear bombs.

Countries that have nuclear bombs today include Britain, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. As technology gets easier to get, some worry that nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of unstable governments. There is also a fear that terrorists might get or build these weapons.

Nuclear War in Stories

Ever since World War II ended, many writers and filmmakers have imagined nuclear war. They create stories about how it might happen. They also show what life would be like afterwards.

Most of these stories show a lot of death and destruction. They picture a grim world after a huge disaster. A few survivors struggle to live without power, medicine, or food. Some stories even show civilization completely breaking down. People might go back to living in primitive societies. The old world would be forgotten.

Images for kids

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  The Titan II Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carried a 9 Mt W53 warhead, one of the most powerful nuclear weapons fielded by the United States during the Cold War.

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  J. Robert Oppenheimer.

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  Convair B-36 bomber.

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  More than 100 US-built missiles having the capability to strike Moscow with nuclear warheads were deployed in Italy and Turkey in 1961

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  RF-101 Voodoo reconnaissance photograph of the MRBM launch site in San Cristóbal, Cuba (1962)

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  Montage of the launch of a Trident C4 SLBM and the paths of its reentry vehicles.

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  Protest against the deployment of Pershing II missiles in Europe, Bonn, West Germany, 1981

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  Large stockpile with global range (dark blue), smaller stockpile with global range (medium blue), small stockpile with regional range (light blue).

See also

In Spanish: Guerra nuclear para niños