The Influence of Scientists on Nuclear Policy

Abstract

In this chapter I will trace the rise to prominence of Soviet nuclear physicists after the Second World War. After the successful test of the Soviet atomic bomb in 1949 Soviet physicists were awarded many accolades. By providing the Soviet Union with both the atomic and hydrogen bombs Soviet scientists made an enormous contribution towards the defence of the Soviet Union and, as a result, they gained tremendous prestige and authority. However, the success and resultant increase in stature of the nuclear physicists was tempered by the sensitivity of the contribution they made. Throughout the enterprise of building the bomb the leaders harboured nagging suspicions about the loyalty of the scientific community and their capacity to engage in sabotage. To the extent that modem physics relied on ‘capitalist’ theories to produce its defence contribution, the leaders feared that Soviet scientists were too tied to the West. Adding to this sense of distrust, some scientists tried to move out of their role as ‘bomb-makers’ and into the role of ‘policy-makers’. Despite this lack of trust, the bomb-makers were protected from the ideological ‘crusades’ that otherwise would have had a severe impact upon their lives. The evolving relationship between the nuclear physicists and the political leadership was thus a complex one.