How the UK got its A/H bomb and why

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   With North Korea claiming to have an H-bomb it is interesting to look back on how and why the UK went after these bombs. During World War-II the US and UK participated in the (US-paid) Manhattan-project. After the war the US did not want to continue that cooperation. 
The UK did consider itself still as a major power, eventhough it did give independence to former colonies (British India-Pakistan etc). To be at the same level as the US in Windscale plutonium and (for the H-bomb) tritium were needed. 

The Suez-crises in 1956, Sputnik-Soviet-satelite 1957, made it clear that the UK had to give up the idea of being able to compete with the USA and USSR. 

The Windscale-fire ended that illusion more clearly. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ4vtUzG6sQ

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Dutch Josh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Adviser Group Joined: May 01 2013 Location: Arnhem-Netherla Status: Offline Points: 95777	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dutch Josh Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: How the UK got its A/H bomb and why Posted: March 21 2016 at 5:38am
	With North Korea claiming to have an H-bomb it is interesting to look back on how and why the UK went after these bombs. During World War-II the US and UK participated in the (US-paid) Manhattan-project. After the war the US did not want to continue that cooperation. The UK did consider itself still as a major power, eventhough it did give independence to former colonies (British India-Pakistan etc). To be at the same level as the US in Windscale plutonium and (for the H-bomb) tritium were needed. The Suez-crises in 1956, Sputnik-Soviet-satelite 1957, made it clear that the UK had to give up the idea of being able to compete with the USA and USSR. The Windscale-fire ended that illusion more clearly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ4vtUzG6sQ
	We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein

Dutch Josh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Adviser Group Joined: May 01 2013 Location: Arnhem-Netherla Status: Offline Points: 95777	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dutch Josh Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 21 2016 at 11:48pm
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcsyMvQtlKs A BBC documentary from 1990. Windscale wes spreading strontium in its neighbourhood from 1952 to 1957 causing leukemia (and killing over a hundred people). Polonium reached the Netherlands. Of course media at the time had to keep the facts hidden so a fire became "overheating"etc. The Sellafield/Windscale area is still radioactive with not much done for safety in the area around it. A history of the Windscale "activities" from 1940 (production of high explosives and fuel) to today (new nuclear plant) at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sellafield and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorside_nuclear_power_station. In the UK electricity from nuclear plants is sold to big companies below production costs with the taxpayer paying for the (up to 20%) price difference. Although North Korea did get a lot of technology from Pakistan the Windscale story should worry anyone about the North Korean nuclear program. Safety-rules and checks in that country mostly will be for propaganda-use. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_North_Korean_nuclear_program
	We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein