Mar 29, 2024  
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2014-2015 
    
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2014-2015 [ARCHIVED CATALOG] See drop-down menu above to access other catalogs.

HIST 413 - History of the Atomic Bomb

(3 credits)
Prerequisite: HIST 221 and HIST 222; or consent of instructor
This course adopts an international approach in examining the development of nuclear weapons from the discovery of fission in 1938 to the present day. The scientific, social, cultural and political background behind the development of the atomic bomb, the organization of the Manhattan Project, the decision to use atomic bombs against Japanese cities, the post-war debates over arms control, the development of the hydrogen bomb, as well as the role of nuclear weapons in the culture and geopolitics of the Cold War will be examined. Particular attention will be paid to the influential individuals who shaped the life of the A-bomb, as well as the moral decisions surrounding and consequences of the development of atomic weapons. Offered alternate years. May be taken for graduate-level credit.