The nuclear factor in Soviet-American relations at the final stage of World War II: to the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Introduction. The nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are considered in the study as a turning point that had a significant impact on the formation of the YaltaPotsdam system of international relations and predetermined the beginning of the Cold War. The relevance of studying the influence of the nuclear factor on Soviet-American relations in 1945 is due to the fact that the establishment of the causes of the cold War and bipolar confrontation serves as the basis for understanding the origins of the modern world order.

Materials and methods. Based on declassified materials from the US National Security Archive, Soviet documents, diaries of American political and military figures, periodicals, the author examines such an aspect of the development and use of nuclear weapons at the final stage of World War II as their use as an instrument of pressure on the USSR.

Analysis. The article examines how the American leadership, despite the allied relations, formed the idea of the need to switch to a forceful policy towards the USSR. The influence of the first nuclear weapons est and the disclosure of information about it on the formation of the post-war world order and Soviet-American relations is analyzed. Attention is drawn to the fact that the decision to resume the Soviet nuclear program took place in 1942, during one of the critical periods of the Great Patriotic War, which demonstrates the understanding of the strategic importance of the atomic project for ensuring the security of the country in the future. The study shows that despite the propaganda accompanying the nuclear bombings of Japanese cities there were concerns in the world about their consequences and prospects for the development of international relations.

Results. The US transition to a strategy of power diplomacy towards the USSR began even before the Potsdam Conference. The United States considered the entry of the USSR into the war against Japan as a significant factor in achieving victory and sought to use new nuclear weapons technology to stimulate Soviet military intervention. The US nuclear monopoly undermined trust in allied relations and led to an escalation of tension between the two powers, predetermining their further confrontation.

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