the difference between the Soviets having the bomb when Korea kicked off (a gap of 1 year) or not is extremely important. a single month US-based spies could've shaved off is worth praise. the US government was sharply divded on whether to use the bombs when they knew the Soviets could respond, a less credible and developed Soviet atomic program might've swayed them the other way. :nuke: i personally like atomic risk assessments being based on estimates myself
no one thinks the soviets copied it whole cloth.
the difference between the Soviets having the bomb when Korea kicked off (a gap of 1 year) or not is extremely important. a single month US-based spies could've shaved off is worth praise. the US government was sharply divded on whether to use the bombs when they knew the Soviets could respond, a less credible and developed Soviet atomic program might've swayed them the other way. :nuke: i personally like atomic risk assessments being based on estimates myself