Nuclear Power And Weapons : The History Of Nuclear Weapons

Since the invention of nuclear weapons, they have presented the world with a significant danger, one that was shown in reality during the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, nuclear weapons have not only served in combat, but they have also played a role in keeping the world peaceful by the concept of deterrence. The usage of nuclear weapons would lead to mutual destruction and during the Cold War, nuclear weapons were necessary to maintain international security, as a means of deterrence. However, by the end of the Cold War, reliance on nuclear weapons for maintaining peace became increasingly difficult and less effective (Shultz, et. al, 2007). The development of technology has also provided increasing opportunities for states

The U.S’s research in nuclear weapons in the 1940’s contributed to ending the second world war as well as led the way to bountiful ideas in scientific research that we still use today.

The development and use of nuclear weapons in 1945 changed not only warfare, but how countries approach warfare as a whole. As Andrew Heywood notes in his book, Global Politics, says that there’s a tendency “for any weapons to proliferate” or spread. With that knowledge it should be assumed that many nations would want to obtain nuclear weapons after seeing what the power that they hold. A state being in possession of a nuclear weapon can deter potential enemies and make them a power on the global scale. The Cold War era and post- Cold War era both saw an in increase in the spread of nuclear weapons. During the Cold War, after the US first used a nuclear weapon in 1945, states that gained nuclear capabilities were the France, the UK, China and the Soviet Union. Post – Cold War era India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea all gained nuclear weapons and shows the problem with proliferation of them. India and Pakistan are neighboring states and rivals which can lead to the possibility that they could be used at any moment. North Korea is a dangerous militaristic state that constantly threatens other states. This illustrates that the spread of nuclear weapons is a global problem because nuclear proliferation can possibly put WMDS, weapons of mass destruction, in the hands of rival states or extremely dangerous nations. There’s also the possibility of them falling into the hands of non state actors such as terrorists groups. Nuclear proliferation and nuclear disarmament/arms

The Cold War was the greatest example of Nuclear Deterrence in history. The U.S. and Russia, had threatened nuclear war as a deterrence for almost fifty years. Next, we will evaluate logical fallacies, inform what it means to be a Strategic Airmen as well as how this course maintains my strategic focus in the conclusion.

The Nuclear bomb, the most feared weapon in the world. A weapon that has the power to wipe out a whole state let alone a large chunk of earth. On the 6th of August, 1945 an American bomber dropped the first ever atomic bomb wiping out over 90 percent of Hiroshima and instantly killing over 80,000 people. (Yavenditti, 1974) At the time the bomb hit only one state had nuclear weapon capability, this state was The United States of America. Since 2010, the world has nine states with nuclear weapons Russia, United States, France, United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and lastly the most recent addition North Korea. (Norris and Kristensen, 2010) The spread of nuclear weapons has created a constant debate. Some have argued the world is safer

Nuclear weapons have been used for intimidation and power amongst countries around the world. Even till this day, there is news of tension and oppression between countries for power and use nuclear weapons in order acquire the upper head. But in reality, if the world ever goes on the brink of an all out nuclear war, everyone would be dust flowing in the wind. Author Arthur C. Clarke speaks against nuclear weapons in his book 2001: A Space Odyssey. In his book, the message that he tries convey is that technology is advancing rapidly, and the use of it could be either beneficial, or can ultimate be the cause of the destruction of the human race. Its where have to look at our priorities and see what can be used for the greater good.

The Cold War proved that nuclear weapons would set the tone for science and warfare. Both world powers were focused on building upon existing technologies, and there are many great things that have come from this production. Nuclear power, which provides energy for twenty-five percent of our country's needs today, came from the struggle during the Cold War. The fear the country felt motivated many people to do great things. Now, the United States has around 9,400 warheads and bombs combined. This is a massive arsenal capable of wiping humans, and possibly life entirely, off the face of the earth. Towards the peak of the Cold War, the United States possessed 11,000 warheads, stationed all over the world, ready to go off at a moment's notice. The number the Soviet Union had is underreported and both countries would exaggerate or diminish the number to sway public opinion. Needless to say, back then there were too many nuclear weapons for the safety of our

From reading The Atomic Bomb and the Origins of the Cold War by Campbell Craig and Sergey Radchenko, it offer valuable insights on the practical concerns that plagued American and Soviet deliberations over atomic weapon development, use, and policy. However, the atomic bomb, a new weapon developed had a destructive magnitude that could convince the Japanese military. By using the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the United States convinced Japan’s leaders not to put their people through further agony. Since then, many people saw that the United States quickly turned from fighting the Japanese to challenging the Soviet Union. Recognizing that after the surrender of Germany, the Soviets were pledged to join the war against Japan, the United

The United States' atomic weapons complex is basic and befuddled. The working environments joined into moving parts of atomic weapons issues blend the Departments of Energy, Defense, State, Commerce, and Homeland Security. The Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration is the key U.S. Government partnership responsible for the design, change and upkeep of U.S. atomic weapons. The Department of Energy got commitment concerning all atomic giant related matters beginning now allotted to the Atomic Energy Commission set up after World War II.

The development of nuclear weapons helped to end World War II, but in turn created their own war between the United States and the Soviet Union. The development of modified military missiles such as the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, or ICBM, by Americans and the Soviets, had an impact on the struggle of power of the Cold War. The importance of military involvement in the creation of modified missiles and engines were critical events of the Cold War. Additionally, the steps taken to get to space were a byproduct of this Arms Race and the Cold War. Because the United States and the Soviet Union feared what the other country would or could do with weapons of mass destruction and the thought of the opposing country being able to control

In ww2 , the atomic bomb was dropped on japan to put an immediate end to the war and not draw other countries (i.e. the soviet union or china) into fighting combatively against the U.S. As far as foreign relations go, it proved to the world that the U.S was the most powerful country in that time ( superpower) . This also relates to several years later during the cold war. It prompted the Soviet Union to develop their own nuclear warfare. (i.e us comes out with hydrogen bomb and a year later USSR develops one). It's also the first introduction of Nuclear weapons to the world

A conventional weapon contains explosive material that undergoes a chemical reaction which releases large amounts of energy. In contrast, a nuclear weapon that derives its explosive power from nuclear reactions. Nuclear weaponry introduced a new kind of war and devastation. In fact, the threat of nuclear war kept the Cold War from going hot. Due to nuclear weapons, nations no longer sought to eliminate their enemy, but to avoid war. Additionally, the advanced to nuclear weapons sparked a change in the development of weapons and the techniques used on the battlefield. During WWII, the tank and the airplane were used widely and played a significant role in the war. After the nuclear bomb, both were improved drastically to keep up with

The discovery of nuclear fission allowed humanity to tap into a powerful new energy source, one which generated significantly lower atmospheric emissions than traditional fossil fuel-burning generators. However, this power was also harnessed into creating weapons with unprecedented destructive capabilities. During the height of the Cold War, several nations feverishly produced nuclear weaponry, often with little regard for the proper disposal of the wastes generated by the processes and the potential environmental damage that these wastes could cause. It was this lack of foresight that has lead to many sites associated with nuclear weapons development and production to become thoroughly contaminated with radioactive and other hazardous wastes. One such site, the Hanford Site in Washington, USA, is one of the US Environmental Protection Agency 's largest and most costly Superfund clean-up sites.

Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous weapons on earth. One can demolish a whole city, potentially killing millions, and exposed the natural environment and lives of future generations through its long-term catastrophic effects. According to the UNODA- United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (2011), “Although nuclear weapons have only been used twice in warfare- in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945-about 22,000 reportedly remains in our world today and there have been over 2,000 nuclear tests conducted to date.” Nuclear weapons have been viewed as a threat to peace by world leaders. There have been debates of whether to let Iran and North Korea acquire nuclear weapons, leaders all around the world along with Liberals believe that it is a threat to peace and should limit the spread whereas neo realist have another belief that nuclear weapon can make the world a peaceful place. Because states would fear to attack each other. For example the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and cold war- there were only threats and war did not happen because of nuclear deterrence. The Cuban missile crisis has frequently been portrayed as the only time where the world stood in the point of nuclear war between the superpowers. This is an example of how nuclear weapons were used to threaten the rival. Another examples would be that of India and Pakistan before they acquire nuclear weapon , they fought three bloody wars after having their independence but since 1998, after acquiring

A nuclear weapon can be defined as a highly explosive device that uses nuclear reactions to create a massive destructive force that can lead to destruction of property and human life. Currently there are two types of nuclear weapons massively used across the globe which include fission and fusion weapons. Fusion weapons are characterized by their ability to produce large energy proportions using the nuclear fusion reactions and such weapons are known as hydrogen bombs. Currently only six countries across the globe hold the ability to use such thermonuclear weapons including United States, Russia, United Kingdom, China, France and India. Hydrogen bombs are more efficient to use but considered more difficult to design and execute (Michael, 1990). On the other hand fission weapons derive their energy from the nucleus of an atom and are mostly referred to as atomic bombs.