All of World War II (cumulative) vs Tsar Bomba (1961)
It is often said that the Tsar Bomba released more energy than all the explosives of the Second World War combined. Using the popular estimate of about 3 Mt for the whole conflict, the Tsar Bomba (about 50 Mt) is roughly 17 times larger. But the war total is a sum of millions of explosions spread over six years and there is no official tally, so the figure is indicative only.
All of World War II (cumulative) · 3 Mt — Tsar Bomba (1961) · 50 Mt
Tsar Bomba (1961) releases 17 times more energy than All of World War II (cumulative)
Tsar Bomba (1961) equals 3,330 times Hiroshima
All of World War II (cumulative) (blue)
Tsar Bomba (1961) (red)
Blast radius scales with the cube root of energy: the larger circle is about 2.6 times wider. Relative scale only — no real distances or damage estimates.
War totals add up energy released over years; they were never a single blast, so their circle is illustrative only.
Full scale (logarithmic)
Each step multiplies the energy; on a linear scale a grenade would vanish next to the Tsar Bomba. Tap a row to set it as B.
* Estimated, approximate or disputed figure. Yields of weapons in service are not official unless stated.
Figures used and how reliable they are
- All of World War II (cumulative)*: 3 Mt. Popular estimate of about 3 Mt of explosives over the whole war; no official tally exists.
- Tsar Bomba (1961): 50 Mt. Largest explosion ever detonated: about 50 Mt.
* All of World War II (cumulative): estimated or disputed figure; it does not come from a verifiable official data sheet and should be read as indicative.
Related comparisons
Compare any other pair in the explosive yield comparison, with its full method. More context: Military history · Weapons · All tools
Sources / References
- U.S. Department of Energy, Manhattan Project history (Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
- U.S. Air Force GBU-43/B MOAB fact sheet.
- U.S. Army ammunition technical manuals (M67, M107).
- Atomic Archive and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (nuclear tests).