Nuclear Disarmament : Production Of Fissile Materials

The beginnings of the Nuclear Age started when Albert Einstein wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt warning him of a dangerous weapon the Nazis had begun researching, known as the atomic bomb. (1) Though, when President Roosevelt first read this letter, he was too preoccupied with events in Europe to be bothered with such ideas. He at the time did not take the creation of such weapon to seriously, nor did he believe America had the resources for such a task. (2) Finally, on October 19, 1939 President Roosevelt wrote back to Einstein stating that the United States had begun to research the power of uranium. (2) With the help of the British, whom reluctantly gave the United States leadership on this project, in June of 1942 the Manhattan Project had begun, though most of the world had no idea that this was even happening, not even Vice President Truman. (2)

These ventures into atomic agriculture and medicine were primarily fueled by organizations like the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and were used to justify a reason for atomic research that did not revolve around atomic weapons. This concern about the uses of atomic energy is further reflected in Eisenhower’s “Atom’s Peace” speech when he says, “Against the dark background of the atomic bomb, the United States does not wish merely to present strength, but also the desire and the hope for peace.” This quotation shows the need for peaceful applications of atomic energy.

On August 6, 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, instantly killing 66,000 people. The dropping of the bomb also had broader circumstances as it forced the surrender of Japan, officially ending World War II. However, the end of World War II marked the beginning of the political conflict and military tension between Russia and the United States known as the cold war. The “war” became global as it as it transformed from the U.S.S.R. vs. the United States to NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact. The Cold War ended in 1991, and now about twelve countries are confirmed or suspected to possess nuclear weapons. Globalization has advanced both the spread of nuclear weapons, and their disarmament. Non-proliferation efforts

The end of World War II had many nations shocked and pondering in 1940’s. Thoughts of a weapon that can erase an entire populous in a short amount of time prompted many nations to consider nuclear armament. This originated from the devastating events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which brought the world somber, and fearful. Some individuals recognized this and did take measures in order to regulate and prevent future use of these weapons. The Acheson-Lilienthal Report was a document that took a stand against national independent control of atomic weapons by proposing compromise between the U.S, and U.S.S.R., the failure to secure the document prompted the Cold War era and Nuclear Arms race, this became a foundation for further agreements and

The seekers of great power are not noted for their rationality. Nor is the vast destructive potential in the present and prospective atomic stockpiles any more of an assured war preventative than was the lesser power of conven-tional weapons prior to World War II. Some major elements of the old plan of atomic energy control now appear to be obsolete. ( ICNW Page 25)

The fear of other nations developing a weapon powerful enough to decimate the US led to the authorization of research to develop an Atomic bomb in 1939. Before WWII people were fearful of the involvement of nuclear science in war because of its’ unfamiliarity. Physicists knew that if Hitler developed the technology that could potentially begot the development of an Atomic bomb, mass destruction would occur. Upon realizing the necessity of nuclear involvement in war, Albert Einstein signed a letter to the U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) addressing his concerns that Germany was developing a nuclear bomb. Einstein urged FDR to fund a research program, Roosevelt agreed and the U.S. set out in October 1939 to study the recent advances in nuclear fission. One key factor that cannot be ignored was that from 1941 the US was involved in war with Japan and because of the attacks on pearl harbour it seemed necessary to develop a weapon of this caliber.

The world was thrust into an atomic debate when, on August 6th and 9th of 1945, U.S. President Harry S. Truman authorized the first and only use of nuclear weapons against Imperial Japan. This debate over the use of atomic power was solely focused on military applications of atomic energy until U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower restructured it to include the peaceful use of nuclear energy in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly “Atoms for Peace” in 1953. Eisenhower’s speech set the stage for a worldwide change of opinion on the possibility of peaceful nuclear power, that culminated with the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and new U.S. directives on atomic technology. The effects of this new opinion on nuclear energy can be clearly seen by Japan’s quick adoption of atomic power after 1953, where Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” speech and subsequent Atoms for Peace program opened the floodgates to the establishment of Japan’s vast nuclear power industry by bringing the peaceful uses of nuclear power to the public’s eye, allowing civilians to participate in nuclear research, and permitting the sharing of U.S. nuclear technology with Japan.

A nuclear weapon is one that possess enormous destruction power derived from nuclear fission which is either a nuclear reaction or a radioactive decay that eventually lead to a massive release of a large amount of energy. Throughout history many nuclear weapons have been developed and used. Over time a simple scientific discovery has manifested itself into a massive and destructive yet very important piece of history that has greatly affected the world today.

- The discovery of neutrons helped greatly in atomic disintegration and creating atomic bombs, because neutrons don’t have any charges, when shooting it across an element, it won’t repel any particles and will cut straight through.

In 1949, president Truman announced that Russia had successfully developed an atomic bomb, marking the beginning of a nuclear arms race; a competition between nations for superiority in the development and accumulation of weapons typically derived from political motivations. In this particular scenario, the U.S. and Russia each developed their own arsenals of nuclear weapons in an endeavor to gain dominance as the political mindsets of the countries were polar opposites; a capitalist United States in opposition to the communist Soviet Union. This political divide dragged in other countries such as Great Britain, France, and China, who also developed nuclear storages so they would be on an even playing field with those who already own nuclear

“That’s when we heard the loud aircraft noise. At that time, we were very aware of the noises different aircraft made. I stood up and said it could be a B-29. We heard the noise fade. Suddenly there was a moment of blinding light with intense heat. I couldn’t see anything. There was a strange reverberation, a noise that’s impossible to describe, followed by a bang. Then the house, the ceiling, everything collapsed. We were buried and in complete darkness. That’s when I thought ‘I’m going to die’. I repeated to myself, ‘I’m going to die, I’m going to die’. The third time I said it, I must have lost consciousness.” These words come from the mouth of Junko Morimoto, a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bomb who lived 1.7 kilometers from ground zero.

Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous weapons on earth. One can destroy a whole city, potentially killing millions, and jeopardizing the natural environment and lives of future generations through its long-term catastrophic effects. The dangers from such weapons arise from their very existence. Although nuclear weapons have only been used twice in warfare—in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945—about 22,000 reportedly remain in our world today and there have been over 2,000 nuclear tests conducted to date. Demobilization is the best protection against such dangers, but achieving this goal has been a extremely difficult challenge. , The United Nations has made the fomenting of peace and security among all nations its highest priority, since its founding. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was constituted on July 29, 1957, in response to United States

In 1968 the non-proliferation treaty was made-up the objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons technology nuclear disarmament in general and complete

Imagine, if you will, that you are the title character in the book "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes," a young Japanese girl suffering from the devastating "atom bomb sickness." Sadako was a vivacious eleven-year-old with dreams of becoming a track star. Sadly, that ended when doctors diagnosed her with leukemia, An atom bomb had been dropped over her hometown of Hiroshima during W.W. II, poisoning her with its radiation.

In the text weapons of mass destruction refers to materials, weapons, or devices that are intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a significant number of people (page 711, para. 3,4). In 1939, Albert Einstein’s Letter to President Roosevelt mentioned that the work of scientists E. Fermi and L. Szilard led him to expect that ‘uranium’ may be turned into a source of energy in the immediate future (Page 1, para. 1). Einstein knew how powerful uranium was and how a very large amount of it could set up a nuclear chain reaction. He knew that if in case this did happen he wanted the president to be well prepared for the outcome. Einstein argued that weapons of mass destruction required a lot of attention and if they are going to be initiated then the following steps should be followed: a person who is confident and trustworthy should keep the government updated with further development and put forward recommendations for government action, particularly the secure supply of uranium (Page 2, para. 6). Secondly, this person should also speed up work by making sure funds are provided and also that they have the necessary equipment needed for completion (page 2, para. 7)