SECURITY
Initially, it is important to clarify that necessity is an ‘indispensable thing’ , however, that can be down to perception and the rationale of the individual. The author believes the security of any state is the most important reason why a country has a nuclear weapon, this is based on a theory of realism, where it is believed that the international system is anarchic and states will do what needs to be done to protect their security. This reflects a need of being and feeling secure, where a nation will always want to do what is best to guarantee their safety. North Korea is an example of this. They state their reason for nuclear weapons is deterrence due to the threat of aggression from other countries around them, notably USA.…show more content… Thus, stalemate essentially occurs, as could be described of the two superpowers USA and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, because a world without these weapons could allow rivalries between these big powers to be fought and become perceivable once more. Throughout history major conflict tends to result from major powers colliding. However, no war between major powers has occurred since the end of World War 2. Although it appeared close at times the actual reality and consequences of such a conflict in the Cold War kept two giants at bay. Furthermore, rivalries today between states like China and USA, means they have to find other means to sort out the tensions between them due to their nuclear status. For example, through soft power and trade.
Nuclear weapons have also helped to put a restraint on another conflict and show why they are clearly needed. Pakistan, a relatively small state in comparison to India needed to create and have a nuclear weapons program due to its fear of being subjugated by its larger neighbouring state India, whose resources dwarf its own. If they did not, they would not have the military might to fend off or deter an attack and protect its interests. Moreover, they would live in fear from the use of an attack against them. Small proxy wars have occurred between them, such as heavy involvement in Afghanistan from both sides and Pakistan being suspected of suicide
“the number one threat we face in this world [is nuclear weapons] and [that] becomes particularly threatening if terrorists ever get their hands on any nuclear material.” (Find Reference) Hillary Clinton stressed that terrorist gaining nuclear materials was the clear threat and whilst there were mentions of Iran and the general proliferation of nuclear weapons, her main concern was nuclear weapons being utilised by terrorists. The discussion around terrorists obtaining nuclear weapons consists of a
actual firing of weapons represents a sufficient challenge to a nation’s security to constitute maximum peril.” These were the words spoken by President John F. Kennedy regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Kennedy 's words truly described the new world order ushering in and changing the way States would handle self-defense, no longer was the use of firing weapons the only threat against the security of a state but also nuclear weapons. The introduction of nuclear weapons tipped the balance
Nuclear arms proved to be the central force behind the fears of a global war during the latter 20th century. However, with the collapse of the USSR, and the legacy of the Cold War leaving the United States as the sole superpower, the tensions of global nuclear war seem to have eased. Despite this, both the United States, and the successor state of its once powerful rival the Soviet Union, still possess in their arsenals the ability to destroy civilization two times over. Russian nuclear capabilities
The proliferation of nuclear weapons is a necessary evil in today’s global system. When the first atomic bombs were used at the end of World War II, many questions were raised about these new weapons. Debates about the usefulness of nuclear weapons only became more pressing during the next several decades, as the tensions of the Cold War presented the very real possibility of a nuclear war. As deterrence, nuclear weapons were, and still can be used to maintain peace, as no nation wants to be the
The proliferation of nuclear weapons has had a major impact on how states operate both domestically and internationally. Moreover, the potential consequences to states possessing nuclear weapons (one of the three types of weapons of mass destruction) have caused a contentious divide between those who support the possession of nuclear weapons and those who are vehemently against it. While some states believe that nuclear weapons pose a lethal threat to innocent civilians and undermine international
Since they were first introduced during World War 2, nuclear weapons have been the strongest and most destructive weapons ever created and they continue to get more powerful. The first time the world saw these weapons in action were during the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The bombs that were dropped on those two cities had the combined power of 36 kilotons of TNT (Starr 1). This pales in comparison to the largest nuclear weapon which was created just 16 years after the bombings of
never been the same. The threat of war requires countries to ensure their survival through whatever means is more effective. Prior to World War II, states would ensure their survival through technology and the quantity of their forces. The invention and possession of a nuclear bombs created a world in which the superpowers engaging in war could no longer be winners. The use of nuclear weapons also did not guarantee survival after the war. In response to rise of nuclear weapons, states had to revolutionize
unacceptable costs on an attacker, and that the threat would be carried out if attacked. And so deterrence theorists, both early and more recently have attempted to explain deterrence through several key elements: ‘the assumption of a very severe conflict, the assumption of rationality, the concept of retaliation”0.(Sagan 1994). Deterrence aids to hinder the growth and spread of nuclear weapons. That is because nuclear weapons continue to present a real threat to humanity and other life on Earth. Scholars
human history, the world was introduced to the awesome power of nuclear weapons. Since that time, there have been several different nuclear threats to the world, and one of those threats can be found along the Pacific Rim, in the country of North Korea. Like the dropping of the atomic bombs, it is also known that the North Korean government has admitted to possessing nuclear weapons, and in doing so, it stands as a silent, potential nuclear danger to the rest of the world.
To understand this situation
countries nuclear munitions, there have been countless false alarms that had the potential to start a full-scale nuclear war. There have been countless false alarms by both countries since the Cold War began, many of which only a fraction of are reported, with the rest unreported or hidden in classified records. Due to the nature of the dilemma, most ordinary citizens lead their lives simply unaware of an oncoming nuclear threat. What would happen if sometime in the near future, if a nuclear war were