The Threat Of Nuclear Weapons

Two main theorists of international relations, Kenneth Waltz and Scott Sagan have been debating on the issue of nuclear weapons and the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the 21st century. In their book The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: An Enduring Debate, they both discuss their various theories, assumptions and beliefs on nuclear proliferation and nuclear weapons. To examine why states would want to attain/develop a nuclear weapon and if increasing nuclear states is a good or bad thing. In my paper, I will discuss both of their theories and use a case study to illustrate which theory I agree with and then come up with possible solutions of preventing a nuclear war from occurring.

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

Nuclear weapons pose a direct and constant threat to people. Not even close from keeping the peace, they breed fear and mistrust among nations. These ultimate instruments

Throughout history, one of the most prominent competitions between countries revolves around the creation or acquisition of nuclear weapons. However, most countries don’t realize that in doing so they create a greater problem. This problem is that as more countries acquire these weapons they are more likely to use them. The use of nuclear weapons is unethical and wrong whether that country is in a state of war or not. The first utilization of a nuclear weapon was in World War 2 by the United States when they dropped an atomic bomb on Japan in an effort to end the war. The use of nuclear weapons during World War II was unethical because these weapons were developed for the sole purpose of acting as a deterrent, there were other

The first use of nuclear weaponry in warfare occurred on the morning of August 6, 1945 when the United States dropped the atomic bomb known as “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan. The result was devastating, demonstrating the true power of nuclear warfare. Since the incident, the world has been left fearing the possible calamity of another nuclear war. Joseph Siracusa’s Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction explains aspects of nuclear weaponry from simply what a nuclear weapon is, to the growing fear from nuclear warfare advancements in an age of terrorism. The book furthered my education on nuclear weapons and the effect they place on society, physically and mentally.

Nuclear weapons have only ever been used once in human history, and that was during World War II when The United States deployed missiles on Japanese territory, in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. At the time of bombing in 1945 only the USA had developed nuclear weapons, whilst today the pool of states consisting of nuclear weapons is still extremely small, with only nine states laying claim to nuclear technology and weaponry. This nuclear proliferation is explained by Darryl Howlett who explains this as the worldwide spread of nuclear weapons. For Howlett states are nuclear driven because of the ‘strategic, political and prestige benefits’ attached to nuclear weapons[1]. In the

The proliferation, or rapid increase in numbers, of nuclear weapons among states, has become an incredibly trying and pressing issue in our world today. Tensions between states that have nuclear capabilities are reaching all time highs and fingers are being pointed in every direction. However, the entire issue regarding nuclear proliferation begins with the United States. In 1945, World War II came to an abrupt halt when, on August 6th and August 9th, the U.S. dropped the first atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombs instantly killed 70,000 individuals, and an estimated 340,000 total died as a result of the fallout (2). As a result of the monumental power and destruction that the United States demonstrated, the world’s reaction was to try and implement a plan that would ban the use of nuclear weapons. The plan would have been regulated by international law, but, unfortunately, no deal could be reached. It had taken another 25 years before the Non-Proliferation Treaty was formed. At this point, five states already possessed nuclear weapons of even greater power and magnitude than the original atomic bombs. Today, America is still dealing with the “fallout” of the United States, a fateful decision to expose the world to weapons of mass destruction (4).

Since the nineteen-forties nuclear weapons have been used to help end, or have caused problems between countries. The dangers of using nuclear weapons have increased over the many years since they were first used. Either way, the fight over nuclear weapons have become more and more common because of the new developments in science and technology. The use of nuclear weapons have been used to threaten many different countries around the world which include the United States and many more. Nuclear weapons have become an overall issue in the world today, yet the issue has been ignored. Just recently this issue has been noticed, yet we still ignore the problems that have happened. As the world of technology has become more educated new nuclear weapons have been created, but they have not been tested or used. The United States should aggressively promote nuclear disarmament because of reprocessing, exaggerations, and waste management.

The development and usage of the first atomic bombs has caused a change in military, political, and public functionality of the world today. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki revolutionized warfare by killing large masses of civilian population with a single strike. The bombs’ effects from the blast, extreme heat, and radiation left an estimated 140,000 people dead. The bombs created a temporary resolution that lead to another conflict. The Cold War was a political standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States that again created a new worldwide nuclear threat. The destructive potential of nuclear weapons had created a global sweep of fear as to what might happen if these terrible forces where unleashed again.

As time has passed since the end of WWII, several nations have shown that they no longer need to keep their nuclear arsenals, and they can still be secure on a foreign and domestic level without them. These countries that deactivate their stockpiles are only going to help make the world a more safe and more secure place to live in, without the threat of a global nuclear war. With the establishment of organizations such as NATO and the UN, the threat of global nuclear war has diminished. These organizations can find alternative ways to deal with severe

When scientists discovered the power of nuclear fission, the new technology was applied to invent the atomic bomb in the early 1940’s. Only a few years later, it was utilized in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6, 1945. Due to the immense destruction it caused, there has been no use of nuclear warfare ever since. Though it seems that nuclear weapons are things of the past, “the threat of nuclear proliferation is one of the severest tests facing the international system in the early twenty-first century” (“Nuclear Weapons” 1898). The effects and strength of nuclear weapons are more powerful now than they were before.

In today’s world, the way a nation reigns superior above all other nations can be traced back to their nuclear stockpile. The possession of nuclear arms has become a notable problem amongst global powers and small, undeveloped nations because of the potential arms race that could ignite, raising significant concern in national security. Furthermore, countless arguments have been made by researchers suggesting that the injection and possession of nuclear weapons has had a beneficial impact on the nature of society because it keeps nations from challenging one another. One of these arguments being the Nuclear deterrence theory which “constitutes a potent argument in favor of maintaining existing nuclear arsenals (that is, deterrence contributing

Warfare has been used by rulers throughout the world since the beginning of time. From making knives out of rocks to using gunpowder as an explosive, the world of weapons has greatly evolved. Nuclear weapons, more commonly known as nukes, are the most destructive instruments known to mankind. With one bomb, millions can die. With one bomb, the natural environment is greatly jeopardized. With one bomb, future generations will suffer. And yet, the world may have become a different place without them. The Cold War was a series of indirect conflicts between the United States of America (USA) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Rising to become the world power after Europe was crushed politically and economically, the two nations

Jonathan Schell’s book The Seventh Decade: The New Shape of Nuclear Danger gives an in depth look at how the world has been shaped seven decades after the creation of the nuclear bomb. In this book Schell provides a brief history of how the bomb came to be, argues how having the bomb changed the geopolitical landscape of the world, and how the current non-proliferation treaties, and recent government administrations are reviving a danger that has not been seen since the cold war. Schell doesn’t stop there he also provides alternatives ways of how to lower the risk of nuclear war, and a possible world without nuclear weapons.

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