Ancient history

Why do nuclear weapons continue to spread around the world and never disappear? ??

1945 Since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, humankind has been terrified of nuclear weapons.

During the Cold War after World War II, there was a risk that the US-Soviet conflict would intensify and a nuclear war would not occur. At this time, it was said that the US and the Soviet Union possessed enough nuclear weapons to kill humankind more than five times, so use of nuclear weapons =the end of the world Was meant.

In addition to the United States and the Soviet Union, France and China also possessed nuclear weapons, but during the Cold War, the leading roles in possessing nuclear weapons were the United States and the Soviet Union.

After the Cold War, the environment of modern society has changed.

India, Pakistan and North Korea have declared possession of nuclear weapons, and Israel is also regarded as a possession country. The more nuclear-weapon states, the higher the risk of accidental nuclear use.

Moreover, these countries are thought to have nuclear weapons as a deterrent to prevent invasion from other countries due to unstable relations with neighboring countries, but when the situation deteriorates when nuclear weapons will be used. I do not understand.

In addition, the use of nuclear weapons and attacks on nuclear facilities by terrorist organizations in recent years are also a cause for concern.

In this era, how to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons and how to manage existing nuclear weapons is a big issue, but the biggest problem is that it is virtually impossible to predict the use of nuclear weapons. It is a point that is becoming.

So, this time, I will write about why nuclear weapons will not disappear and will spread.

The United States drops the atomic bomb on Japan

Nuclear weapons development is said to have taken place for the first time under the Nazi German government.

It was the United States that had a sense of crisis about Germany's nuclear development.

If Germany gets a nuclear weapon, the victory or defeat of the war will soon be overturned. So the United States 1942 to outperform Germany in developing nuclear weapons. To [ Manhattan Project ] Will be started.

And July 1945 It was the United States that succeeded in the world's first nuclear test.

The scientists who developed it were aware of the tremendous power of nuclear weapons, so it was easy to predict that this technology would eventually spread to other countries. Engineers then propose to the US government to disclose the information and put it under international control, but refuse.

At this point, the war situation of World War II was that Germany had surrendered and Okinawa in Japan was also occupied by the U.S. military, so there was no need to dare to use nuclear weapons, but President Tollman said Japan. I decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.

It is said that the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan was due to the relationship with the Soviet Union.

By this time, the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union had already begun, and the Soviet Union decided to end the war before it invaded Japan and to drop the atomic bomb in order for the United States to take advantage of Japan's postwar treatment. In fact, Tallman said, [ Jap collapses before Russia enters the war ] Was written.

The confrontational structure between the United States and the Soviet Union, which led to the later Cold War, caused the victims of the tragic atomic bombing of our country and created the nuclear horror that continues to this day.

The US and the Soviet Union are in an arms race after failing to manage nuclear weapons internationally ...

The countries of the world who witnessed the dropping of the atomic bomb in Japan were aware of the importance of internationally controlling nuclear weapons.

1946 after the end of the war First Session of the United Nations The first resolution was to establish a Atomic Energy Commission to discuss nuclear issues. was. This nuclear issue was also the most important issue in the United Nations.

However, since the US-Soviet conflict had already begun, the US-Soviet opinions were in direct conflict at the committee. The Soviet Union insists that all nuclear weapons should be abolished, but the United States, the only nuclear-weapon state, could not respond. Am I the only one who thinks the Soviet Union is saying something decent at this time? ??

Naturally, the debate was alive and the international control of nuclear weapons led by the United Nations was unsuccessful.

When this happens, the Soviet Union will also start developing nuclear weapons for deterrence.

1949 The Soviet Union has finally succeeded in a nuclear test and will become the second largest nuclear weapons country after the United States. Since then, the US-Soviet Union has endless nuclear arms race Begins.

American nuclear weapons peaked in 1966 32000 shots Soviet Union 1986 45000 shots was. Also 1952 Hydrogen bomb in 1955, nuclear submarine in 1955, ICBM in 1959 [ intercontinental ballistic missile ] The following year, SLBM [ submarine-launched ballistic missile ] We have been developing new technologies one after another.

An incident will occur that is inspired by the endless nuclear development of both countries.

1962 In response to the Soviet Union's deployment of nuclear missiles in the United States and Cuba, a country just a stone's throw away, US President John F. Kennedy said, [ If a nuclear missile is launched from Cuba, the United States will also retaliate. ], And go to the place just before World War III.

The Cuban Missile Crisis could be overcome as a result of negotiations between the two countries, but if one mistake is made, humankind may not have existed by this time.

Reduce nuclear weapons but spread to the world

1989 When the Cold War ended, the momentum for nuclear disarmament spread at once.

1991 Strategic Weapons Reduction Treaty (START) to reduce the number of strategic nuclear weapons that the US and the Soviet Union have 10,000 each to less than 6000 Agreed to be fully implemented in 2001.

Under the Obama administration in the United States in 2009, nuclear disarmament progressed further [ nuclear-free world ] Won the Nobel Peace Prize for his speech. Negotiations with Russia are also active, and in 2010 strategic nuclear warhead New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty Was tied.

The end of the Cold War resulted in the nuclear disarmament of the United States and the Soviet Union, but it brought about the proliferation of nuclear weapons to the world.

Due to the sloppy nuclear control of the former Soviet Union, theft and smuggling cases occurred frequently. Since the terrorist attacks in 2001, the possibility of nuclear terrorism has often been taken up as a serious problem.

Well, 1998 India and Pakistan , 2006 North Korea Succeeded in a nuclear test and greatly shaken the NPT system that does not allow nuclear weapons other than the five major countries.

In this way, the difficulty of managing nuclear weapons and technology internationally became apparent.

Nuclear-weapon states oppose the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons one after another

July 2017 Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty by the majority in favor of the United Nations Was adopted.

Prohibit the development, possession, use, threatening, etc. of nuclear weapons This treaty will come into effect once 50 countries have completed ratification procedures. However, the adoption of this treaty impressed with the difficulty of eliminating nuclear weapons.

Nuclear-weapon states and countries protected by nuclear umbrellas, such as Japan, South Korea, and Germany, all opposed the treaty and did not even participate in the negotiations. Even if the treaty comes into effect, it is said to be ineffective because it does not take effect in non-participating countries.

Current Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) In the system of 1967 While allowing the possession of five countries, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China, which already possessed nuclear weapons at that time, it does not allow other countries to possess nuclear weapons.

What is clear is that these five countries do not allow other countries to have nuclear weapons, but they do not have the option of saying that they do not have nuclear weapons.

In addition, the Trump administration in the United States was promoting the modernization of nuclear weapons rather than the abolition of nuclear weapons. 2018 Announced in [ Review of Nuclear Force System ], The development of a small nuclear weapon with suppressed explosive power was included.

The power of current nuclear weapons is too great to use, so we will develop a small nuclear weapon that can easily attack enemy bases with pinpoints and install it on nuclear submarines.

In addition, Trump signed a Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Discard Was announced. As a result, the nuclear arms race could occur again.

The Southern Hemisphere is already a world without nuclear weapons

[ Nuclear-free world ] Is a big goal of humankind, but the current situation is that it does not progress at all. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, most countries and regions are already nuclear-weapon-free zones.

The first treaty that established a nuclear-weapon-free zone was the Tlatelolco Treaty in Latin America. was.

It banned the testing, production, use and deployment of nuclear weapons in Latin America and came into effect in 1968. Initially, some countries did not participate, but in 2002, 33 countries in Latin America reached a final agreement between the nations on all items, and the treaty was completed.

The treaty has also been finally confirmed by the five nuclear-weapon states and includes not encouraging acts that violate denuclearization obligations and not using or threatening nuclear weapons against signatories. ..

Currently, nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties are in force in multiple regions.

2009 In Africa Perindapa Treaty With the entry into force, most of the Southern Hemisphere will be occupied by nuclear-weapon-free zones.