Politics of the Nuclear Arms Race

            Throughout the Cold War, many advances were made in nuclear weapons. Along with the advances in the technologies, boundaries needed to be set. This is where the treaties come in. Since it was the Cold War, the U.S. and the USSR were not on the best of terms, but the two nations did agree on some terms when it came to the possibility of a nuclear apocalypse.

            Many treaties were during the Cold War to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and limits on the use of the weapons. Three of these treaties include the Limited Test Ban Treaty, the Outer Space Treaty, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty. These treaties were major road marks in the nuclear arms race.

            The Limited Test Ban Treaty was the first treaty signed during the Cold War on arms control. The U.S., the USSR, and the U.K. signed it in 1963 because of Kennedy and Khrushchev’s fears of the opposing nation’s nuclear threat. The LTBT stopped the testing of all nuclear weapons under water, on land, and in space in fear of nuclear fallout in surrounding areas of the blast radius. According to a historian, the Limited Test Ban Treaty did not directly effect or decrease the development and proliferation of the nuclear weapons. The LTBT did, however, set a standard for new treaties.

            With the Limited Test Ban Treaty signed, the Soviets wanted to make a new agreement on banning the use of nuclear weapons in space. September 19, 1963, Soviet Foreign Minister, Gromyko, informed the General Assembly of the Soviets wishes for an outer space treaty. The U.S. Ambassador Stevens claimed that the U.S. never planned on sending nuclear weapons to space. On June 16, 1966 the U.S. and Soviets turned in draft treaties and the Soviets included banning the orbiting, stationing in space, and installation of nuclear weapons on celestial bodies where the U.S. only addressed celestial bodies. The U.S. agreed to the Soviets’ terms and the Outer Space Treaty was signed on January 27, 1967 and went into action on October 10, 1967.

            This treaty shows how the U.S. and USSR could cooperate during the Cold War if they were inclined to do so. It also shows that the Soviets were concerned with being attacked as much as the U.S. The Soviets also wanted to minimize possibilities of the U.S. gaining the upper hand in technologies.

            The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty could be argued as one of the most important treaties of the Cold War nuclear arms race. The NPT was signed in 1968 by major nuclear and non-nuclear nations. One historian suggests that even though the NPT did not stop proliferation of nuclear technologies, it was a major step forward in the prevention of proliferation and showed cooperation between nuclear and non-nuclear nations. The historian also states that with the spreading of nuclear weapons to countries not within the balance of the three superpowers of the U.S., U.K., and USSR, the balance of “assured destruction” may be disrupted. That is why the NPT is one of, if not the most important Treaty of the nuclear arms race. Without this treaty the spread of nuclear weapons would have been much more rapid and nuclear strikes may have been much more likely.

            Along with the treaties, there were a few political mishaps with the nuclear arms race, the Cuban missile crisis being the most famous.

Previous to the missile crisis, Khrushchev and Kennedy met in Vienna in 1961. Kennedy was caught off guard by the threatening attitude of Khrushchev.  Khrushchev threatened to cut off U.S. access to Berlin and two months later he built the Berlin Wall. After the meeting Khrushchev was impressed by Kennedy. He stated that, “He is tough, very forthright, and extremely intelligent. I hope to meet him again, although he is not an easy man to talk to.” (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum) These discussions, and Soviets resuming nuclear testing, made Kennedy resume nuclear testing, up production of ICBMs, and add five new army divisions to increase reserve and airpower.

During 1962, Khrushchev made an agreement with communist Cuba to supply Cuba with nuclear missile for protection against another possible U.S. attack. U.S. spy plane photographed the construction of nuclear missile sites in Cuba during October. This induced Kennedy to order a naval blockade around Cuba that was called ”Quarantine.” Khrushchev withdrew from Cuba after the word that the U.S. would reinvade and complied to the demand of the removal and destruction of missiles and launch sites in Cuba. After this incident, Khrushchev put all of the USSR’s resources into nuclear strike for upgrades, which accelerated the nuclear arms race.

The threats and treaties of nuclear warfare shaped the political mess that was the Cold War. Without the treaties between nuclear superpowers keeping them from launching missiles, the world may have been turned into a wasteland. These events still effect nuclear policies today. One CRS Report for Congress from January 2008 is titled, U.S. Nuclear Weapons: Changes in Policy and Force Structure. It discusses the Bush administrations concerns on the amount of nuclear weapons the U.S. should hold and that since Russia is now an ally some nuclear weapons can be disposed of. Even thirty years after the Cold War nuclear policies are still referred to for guidelines on new ones.

All of these policies are still in action today to keep the threat of nuclear attacks to a minimum. Countries like Iran and North Korea are threating attacks today even though they far behind on technology thanks to treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. 

Meeting to discuss state of Non-Proliferation Treaty

President signing the Limited Test Ban Treaty

Telegram relaying Khrushchev's comments about meeting President Kennedy

U2 picture of missile site in Cuba

Khrushchev and Kennedy shaking hands

Sources

1. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum - information on Cuban Missile Crisis and Kennedy Khrushchev meeting in Vienna 
2. Office of the Historian - information on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
3. U.S. Department of State - information on Outer Space Treaty
4. CRS Report - information on modern nuclear policies (Primary)
5. telegram - Khrushchev's impressions of Kennedy (Primary)
6. Office of the Historian - information on the Limited Test Ban Treaty