Part 8/10:
By August 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb, prompting a seismic shift in global power dynamics. Having gleaned critical information through infiltrators like Fuchs and Greenglass, the Soviets matched the U.S. nuclear capability, setting the stage for an arms race entrenched within paranoia.
American authorities hastily initiated extensive investigations, culminating in the establishment of the Venona Project, which sought to decode intercepted Soviet communications. The impact was profound, uncovering the full extent of Soviet espionage—including newly revealed operatives like Theodore Hall, a young physicist who also provided secret information.