The united states was the first nation to make nuclear weapons and subsequently amassed one of the largest stockpiles of weapons and fissile material, only to be surpassed by the soviet unions production. Background nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons in the world. The worlds most secretive nuclear weapons program no. This paper examines north koreas motivation to develop nuclear weapons, the perspectives of regional countries, and the u.
The worlds most secretive nuclear weapons program no, not north korea the establishment of a nuclear triad demonstrates how seriously israel takes the idea of nuclear deterrence. Instead, people fear nuclear armageddon, and the power of the atom is becoming synonymous with death and destruction. In october 1945, foa made a request for additional funding for studies of nuclear weapons. Russia has announced the existence two new nucleartipped missiles, including a previously secret nuclearpowered cruise missile. Chuck hansen presents the historical and technical data for every warhead built by the united states since 1945. Pyongyang was determined to become a leading missile power in asia, song said. The nuclear weapon archive a guide to nuclear weapons updated pages on the u. Alton jones foundation, charlottesville, va one workinprogress at the national security archive is a project on u. Recognizing that nuclear weapons differ from any other weapons because of their immense power and danger, president lyndon b. Updated section 8 the first nuclear weapons of the nuclear weapons frequently asked questions, now with diagrams.
Earlier, the concept had also been applied to chemical and biological warfare china declared its nfu policy in 1964, and has since maintained this policy nato has repeatedly rejected calls for adopting nfu policy. North koreas nuclear weapons program dates to the late 1950s, just a few years after the united states secretly based nuclear bombs, and later nuclear artillery, in south korea. Chuck hansen may, 1947 march 26, 2003 was the compiler, over a period of 30 years. Sobering accounts of nuclear accidents, near misses, and technological developments raise questions about the management and safety of the us. The nuclear weapon archive a guide to nuclear weapons the nuclear weapon archive a guide to nuclear weapons if we fight a war and win it with hbombs, what history will remember is not the ideals we were fighting for but the methods we used to accomplish them.
The south koreanbased nuclear arsenal peaked at an alltime high of approximately 950 warheads in 1967. Director of the nuclear weapons databook project at the natural resources defense council, inc he has served as a consultant to numerous government agencies and non government organizations on energy and nuclear non proliferation matters, and was an assistant professor of physics at the naval postgraduate school in monterey. The swords of armageddon cdrom chuck hansen has spent over 25 years pushing the barriers of secrecy around nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons the secret history is a perfect and fascinating blend, a rare example of a nonfiction reference pageturner. Despite not having been used in anger since hiroshima and nagasaki, the atomic bomb is still the biggest threat that faces us in the 21st century. Earlier, the concept had also been applied to chemical and biological warfare. July 1, 2005 a decision to use nuclear weapons is one of the most politically, militarily, and morally perilous decisions that a u.
Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, eric schlosser. Where waltz uses structural theory to argue that nuclear weapons along with bipolarity were the major difference that kept the world free of major wars during the cold war, and that the spread of these weapons is. But the postcold war world is decidedly not postnuclear. After world war ii, sweden considered building nuclear weapons to defend themselves against an offensive assault from the soviet union. The aftermath of an attack by a nuclear weapon can damage the people and environment of an area for years after the weapon is detonated. Declassified nuclear weapon safety development history. Nuclear strategy and weapons national security archive. Nuclear weapons the secret history chuck hansen on. New book presents a secret history of nuclear war planning in. Nuclear forces and the w62 and w76 warheads 14 december 2006 added pages on the aleksandr litivenko case and on polonium poisoning. National security i executive summary during the cold war, the purpose of the united states nuclear arsenal was to deter nuclear threats to the united states, primarily from the soviet union. Ever since president obama made securing nuclear weapons assets a top priority for his global.
Presents the most comprehensive technical history about the postwar development of american nuclear weapons including significant postwar technological advancements in atomic warheads. This unique 2,500 page cdrom and microfiche document will be updated periodically with new information. In short, australia is a coun try whose nonproliferation credentials are impeccable. Nuclear weapons the secret history by hansen, chuck. Considering the destructive power of nuclear weapons, the stakes could hardly be highere. The untold story of canadas cold war arsenal toronto, the dundurn group, 1998. From fission to the limited test ban treaty, 19391963. Extraparliamentary dissent in france and germany 1981. Acceptance by nuclear states of safeguards overseen and verified by the international atomic energy agency iaea, an international agency established in 1957 to prevent conversion of peaceful nuclear energy projects to nuclear weapons development. Hoenig a book by the natural resources defense council, inc. The swords of armageddon a guide to nuclear weapons.
No first use nfu refers to a pledge or a policy by a nuclear power not to use nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an adversary using nuclear weapons. As early as 1958, 10 years before the signing of the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons npt, the polish government. Today, nine states have nuclear weapons and many more can easily acquire those, although only five states are officially recognized as possessing nuclear weapons by the 1968 nuclear nonproliferation treaty npt. Koreas nuclear plans were no secret the washington post. The treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons npt is a landmark international treaty that seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.
Norris abstract during the cold war, the united states deployed nuclear weapons in south korea continuously for 33 years, from 1958 to 1991. Nuclear weapons the secret history 9780517567401 by hansen, chuck and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The following documentary explores the surprisingly abundant evidence that nuclear weapons are a hoax. Thus, even if nuclear weapons are to remain out of sight, they can hardly afford to be out of mind. The nuclear weapons history project chandre gould introduction the past seldom allows the luxury of neat stories with clear beginnings, middles and ends. Blast damage area equivalent megatons equivalent megatonnage, emt are proportional the product the the number of bombs and the 23 power of the yield of each bomb. The secret history, which, along with great detail about the process of developing, testing and administering atomic weapons was critical of the u. The nuclear weapon archive official nicap web site. Nuclear history documentation project this project has been generously supported with grants from the w.
A selective bibliography on nuclear weapons and related. Full of photographs, charts, footnotes and other hard information, as well as hansens standard text and description, u. Nuclear weapons development since 1945 is the first and only comprehensive illustrated history of the postworld war ii design, development, and testing of u. Y wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. A history and assessment by jozef goldblat t he idea of establishing nuclearweaponfree zones nwfzs was conceived with a view to preventing the emergence of new nuclear weapon states. Hansen, who died of brain cancer in 2003, also authored the swords of armageddon published on cd rom in 1995 as a voluminous followup on the same subject, but this rare title remains the standard reference on the legendary. History deserves to be remembered recommended for you 16. The level of detail in the authors mindset is difficult to convey. History and its documentation are, rather, a reflectionof the complexities of human relationships, interaction and miscommunication.
Acclaimed author and producer explores the history of nuclear weapons systems in the united states. Chuck hansen has spent over 25 years pushing the barriers of secrecy around nuclear weapons. From 1945 to 1972 the government ran a clandestine nuclear weapons program under the guise of civilian defense research at the swedish national defence research institute foa by the late 1950s the work had reached the point where underground testing was. Freedom of information act and since his death have been housed at the national security archive at george washington university in 1988, hansen wrote the book u. A history and assessment by jozef goldblat t he idea of establishing nuclear weaponfree zones nwfzs was conceived with a view to preventing the emergence of new nuclear weapon states.
Many of the nuclear explosion videos we have all seen and presumed real are shown to be complete fakes using model trees, houses and cars exploding on a set. Because these materials were used in nuclear weapons, the naval nuclear propulsion program, the. Defense department, the atomic energy commission, and some other government agencies. A brief history of nuclear weapons states asia society. Jul 24, 2003 full of photographs, charts, footnotes and other hard information, as well as hansens standard text and description, u.
The united nations disarmament chief said on monday that the world today faces similar challenges to the context that gave birth to the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons npt, and that the threat of use of nuclear weapons is growing. Beginning in 1946, sweden quickly established a wellorganized and wellfunded nuclear weapons research program under guise of civilian defense research divided into five distinct areas. On august 6, 1945, the united states dropped an atomic bomb on the japanese city of hiroshima. History david holloway states, the decision to build that atomic bomb was a profoundly. Nuclear weapons in canada toronto, the dundurn group, 1999.
As bill clintons first secretary of defense, les aspin, aptly put it, the cold war is over, the soviet union is no more. Treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, also called nuclear nonproliferation treaty, agreement of july 1, 1968, signed by the united kingdom, the united states, the soviet union, and 59 other states, under which the three major signatories, which possessed nuclear weapons, agreed not to assist other states in obtaining or producing them. Rarely in american history has a new president inherited. The worlds first nuclear weapons explosion on july 16, 1945, in new mexico, when the united states tested its first nuclear bomb. Johnson once argued that a decision to use them would lead us. But the postcold war world is decidedly not post nuclear.
You can find it at the nuclear weapons archive, sister site to this one. For all the effort to reduce nuclear stockpiles to zero, it seems. August 23, 2007 added britains first plans for developing an atomic bomb william penneys 1947 first outline of the features of the atomic bomb and the tasks required to develop one. The origin and early development of nuclear weapons.
That program was a major reason the current nuclear deal was struck in the first place, and why its verification provisions are the most intrusive in the history of arms control agreements. A selective bibliography on nuclear weapons and related issues don howard university of notre dame gar alperovitz. A history of us nuclear weapons in south korea hans m. The initial blast and long term effects of a nuclear explosion are catastrophic. Scarce first edition, in handsome condition, by the selfmade guru of u. The nuclear weapons complexwhat nnsa currently refers to as the nuclear. A selective bibliography on nuclear weapons and related issues.
The introduction provides an overview of nuclear weapons physics, the second and third chapters cover postwar fission and thermonuclear weapons development, the fourth describes individual weapons and warheads, and a final chapter focuses on arming and fuzing systems. They are nonfiction books which relate to uranium mining, nuclear weapons andor nuclear power american prometheus. North korea has defied international objections to its nuclear weapons programme, despite the sanctions. These methods will be compared to the warfare of genghis khan who ruthlessly. Secret understandings on the use of nuclear weapons, 19501974. A recent address by israeli pm netanyahu confirmed what the world has known for 10 years. The history of the evolution of nuclear strategy in the united states, as in the other nuclear powers, is a story of the ongoing attempt to find political meaning and military relevance in weapons so destructive that they defeat traditional notions about strategy and the use.
234 1017 473 169 546 701 3 852 1477 1172 1411 1523 392 1039 598 462 277 566 582 885 414 1307 1211 766 262 628 641 1100 889 826 318 35 915 577 170 490 1067 555 208 1176 1020 490 1321 561