What has been the impact of nuclear weapons on international relations? |
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What has been the impact of nuclear weapons on international relations?
By Alisa Perekopskaya
NUCLEAR weapons have been a controversial topic for many years since the first nuclear weapon was created in the 1940s.
In the decades since, these weapons have shaped global politics, inspired intense social debate and fuelled a complex arms race that continues to influence international relations today.
Over the years there have been a lot of arguments against and for nuclear weapons and in the following article we will dive into both aspects. If nuclear weapons were to be used, they would have a catastrophic impact on the world in many ways, including environmental impacts, which would seriously impact our lives in the long term. The use of nuclear weapons would result in many deaths and serious damage to buildings and homes.
This essay will argue that the overall effect of some states possessing nuclear weapons is to reduce the number of wars and create international stability. I will first look at the arguments for nuclear weapons before examining the arguments against. However, this essay will argue that their existence is a major factor that prevents war and ensures security to different nations.
Advantages of Nuclear Weapons
When one thinks of nuclear weapons one doesn’t usually see the benefits they might bring for the world but sees only the disadvantages. However, nuclear weapons act as a strong deterrent because of the principle known as Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). This means if one country uses nuclear weapons, the other countries in possession of nuclear weapons are capable of retaliating with equal force, destroying both sides.
As a former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, for example, thought that nuclear weapons made the prospect of great power war much less likely. This terrifying possibility makes nations think twice before engaging in war, helping to prevent major conflicts.
In the modern world, a good example would be the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which escalated on 24 February 2022. In 1994, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances from the West under the Budapest Memorandum, but some argue that keeping them might have made the situation even more unstable. However, the fact that Russia has nuclear weapons prevents the start of the third world war because other countries with nuclear weapons don’t want to get into a direct military conflict with Russia, since it could lead to serious nuclear destruction.
Long-term stability between superpowers can be achieved by nuclear weapons. Due to the serious risk of nuclear retaliation, countries with nuclear arms are discouraged from engaging in direct war against each other.
The ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, which began in 1947 over territorial disputes in Kashmir and escalated with nuclear tests in 1998, is an excellent example. Both countries now have nuclear weapons. One could argue that other nuclear-armed nations, such as the US, would be less likely to intervene in the conflict as peacemakers if Pakistan and India did not possess nuclear weapons since there would be less at stake. This establishes a balance of power that discourages hostile behaviour and contributes to the preservation of a generally peaceful international environment among the world’s major powers.
Furthermore, it could be argued that while the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima were tragic, they may have had a significant impact in raising global........