No Strings Attached

The use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945, marked the end of World War II and had a lasting impact on the international stage. This event heralded the beginning of the Atomic Age, as the United States and Germany had been competing to harness the power of nuclear fission for a weapon of unprecedented devastation. The U.S. emerged victorious, establishing itself as the first global superpower, though its dominance would soon be challenged by the Soviet Union. With the inevitable retaliation in mind, the development and accumulation of increasingly powerful nuclear weapons became the foundation of the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Cold War rivalry.