A new type of warfare

The Second World War ended when the USA used atomic bombs to force the Japanese to surrender. This, however, was the beginning of a new form of warfare, far more destructive than the conventional methods of fighting on land, sea and the air – nuclear warfare.

Development of atomic bombs

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The atomic bomb was developed in the United States between 1942 and 1945 by a team of scientists working on the Manhattan Engineer District project at Los Alamos in New Mexico. The bomb was tested on 16 July 1945. On 6 August, a B-29 bomber, the Encola Gay, dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later a second was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Both caused appalling damage and horrific casualties and left a legacy of cancer and other radiation-related diseases. It was clear that atomic bombs were the weapons of the future.

Effects of nuclear missiles

Effects of nuclear explosions

Blast effects - rapid expansion of bomb material causes a shock wave. This wave hits physical objects like a sledge hammer. This if followed by an extreme wind as air rushes back to fill the vacuum left by the shock wave.

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Thermal effects - the explosion creates a fireball. From a 10 megaton blast you could receive first degree burns 64 km away. The flash causes fires, which in certain circumstances can result in firestorms.

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Radiation effects - 'prompt radiation' - released as a sudden burst of radiation on detonation & fallout radiation. Fallout is the radioactive material in the mushroom cloud that rains back down over a large area. People suffer radiation poisoning or damage to their cells' DNA, which causes cancer.

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USSR-USA Relationships

As relations between the USSR and the USA worsened in the years after the Second World War, both sides began to develop their weapons so as to be able to ‘outgun’ their opponents. Nuclear weapons became more and more powerful. In 1949 the USSR detonated its first atomic bomb. Three years later, the USA detonated the first hydrogen bomb, 1000 times more powerful than the atom bomb. Within a year, the Soviet Union had its own H-bomb.

Delivery systems

By the end of the 1950s both sides had developed H-bombs small enough to be dropped from a bomber and ICBMs, Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles. The USA had developed Polaris missiles which could be fired from submarines. In 1957 the USSR launched the Sputnik satellite into orbit around the earth. They now had the technology to launch rockets out of the earth’s atmosphere and guide them to a target. This technology could be applied to missiles with nuclear weapons.

MAD

At the same time, their development acted as a deterrent. Each realised that in a nuclear war, they would suffer appalling destruction. Once Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles were invented in the 1950s, it was certain that both could retaliate in the event of an attack. The idea was to have so many nuclear weapons that they could not all be destroyed if the other side was to strike first. The enemy would not dare strike first for fear of retaliation. This was known as a situation of MAD – Mutual Assured Destruction.

Impossible to destroy all of an enemy's
missiles in a first strike

How can you be sure who launched the missile?

What happens if rougue states develop missiles?

What happens if the other side develops shelters?

Cuba

The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, however, brought the two Superpowers close to nuclear warfare. USA spy planes found photographic evidence of Soviet missile sites on Cuba. Kennedy, the US President, blockaded the Caribbean island and demanded the removal of the missiles. Khrushchev backed down and eventually agreed to remove the missiles. War had been averted.

1970s & 1980s

Both sides continue to develop more sophisticated
and destructive nuclear weapons

USSR

Develops complex missiles capable of delivering
multiple warheads

1977 replaces out of date missiles in Eastern Europe
with new SS-20 nuclear missiles

Worried by SS-20s - thinks they could be used in
a limited nuclear war in Europe

Develops Cruise Missile

1979 - stations Pershing missiles in W Europe
to counter Soviet SS-20s

1982

Regan - Strategic Defence Initiative

Star wars

Multi-billion dollar project to create a
system of satellites and lasers

Idea is to destroy missiles before
they hit their targets

Could increase the chance of
nuclear war - might be better to get an attack
in first to stop development

1989

Beginning of the collapse of the Soviet Empire

Cold War comes to an end

Nuclear arms race finishes

Weapons of Mass Destruction

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WMDs are weapons that can kill large numbers of people and/or cause great damage to physical structures. WMDs can be nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological.

Radiological weapons - Weapons designed to spread radioactive material. They use conventional explosives to spread radioactive material - often the spent fules from nuclear power plants or radioactive material from medical waste.

Biological weapons - the use of a virus, bacterium or other disease causing organism as a weapon. E.g. Anthrax

Fear of the use of WMD has shaped international politics

The term WMD was used by members of the Clinton Administration to refer to chemical weapons used in Iraq under Sadam Hussein.

Fear of Anthrax attacks in the US following 9/11 - bioterrorism

Alleged existence of WMD in Iraq was the primary justification for the 2003 invasion of Iraq

The only country to have used a nuclear weapon in war is the USA.

1957 International Atomic Energy Agency

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Established under UN mandate

Aimed to encourage development of
peaceful nuclear technology

Provide safeguards against misuse

Facilitate safety measures for use of
nuclear technology

a	1963 - Partial Test Ban Treaty

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Image: President Kennedy signs Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, 07 October 1963

Restricted testing to underground

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Prevents contamination
due to nuclear fallout

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Tries to slow arms race

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Image: the Tsar Bomb - developed by the USSR in 1961. It is the largest bomb ever detonated at 100 Megatons. The bomb detonated 4km above the ground, but the fireball reached the earth's surface. The shockwave was felt 900km away and the flash of light seen 1000km away. Up to 55km from the blast centre all buildings were destroyed.

USSR, USA, UK, then others

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1968 - Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Attempted to limit spread of nuclear weapons

Allowed transference of non-military nuclear
technology

189 member states

US, UK, Russia, France, China
all have weapons

5 non-member states: India, Israel
Pakistan, North Korea - all have
nuclear weapons

1971 - SALT I

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Photograph of Gerald Ford signing accord with Soviet leader Leonid Brehznev,

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty

Series of talks (USSR & USA) to freeze number of
strategic ballistic missile launchers

Allowed SLBMs only after same number of
ICBM and older SLBM launchers had been
dismantled.

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SLBM - Trident - photographed in 1981

Improve Soviet American relations

Limited the building of mid-range missiles for 5 years

Did not reduce stocks of existing weapons

1972 - 1979 - SALT II

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Despite SALT I the number of US and Soviet
missiles increased in the 1970s.

Carter wanted both sides to get rid of nuclear weapons

Series of talks held between USSR & USA

Tried to stop manufacture of strategic
nuclear weapons - especially long-range missiles
with multiple warheads.

First treaty to reduce the total number of missile
delivery vehicles - to 2250 total

All new missile programmes banned

Treaty not ratified by the US Senate because
Soviets invated Afghanistan in Dec '79

Even so the terms of the treaty were honoured
until 1986 when Regan withdrew after
accusing the Russians of violating the pact.

1991 - START I

Talks began 1982 between USSR and USA

Discussions to limit intermediate nuclear weapons in Europe

Gorbachev and Bush agree to destroy about one-third of
their nuclear weapons

They signed the agreement with pens made from
scrapped missiles.

1993 -START II

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The Peacekeeper missile (US). 50 of these ICBMs were depoloyed by the US in 1986. Under START II they were to be removed from the US nuclear arsenal in 2005. The misiles were decomissioned in 2005. The Peacekeeper was a MIRVed missile - each rocket could carry 10 re-entry vehicles, each aremed with 300-kiloton warheads (each of which was twenty times the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima dujring WWII

Treaty between USSR & USA

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Bans use of ICBMs and MIRVs

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A time-lapse photo showing the paths of the multiple re-entry vehicles deployed by one Peacekeeper missile.

Multiple independently
targetable reentry vehicles

A collection of nuclear weapons
carried on a single missile

A MIRV warhead from a single
launched missile can hit several targets

Treaty did cut stocks of US and Russian missiles
but left both countries with about 6000!
Risk of nuclear war remained.

Ratified but postponed due
to US action in Iraq and Kosovo,
& Russian objection to expansion
of NATO

1996 - Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Signed by 177 states

India, Pakistan, North Korea
did not sign - all have nuclear
weapons

15 other nations did not sign

Bans all nuclear explosions
in all environments for both
military and civilian purposes

2002 - SORT

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Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions
or Moscow Treaty

US and Russia both agreed
to limit nuclear arsenals

Limit: 1700 - 2200 operational
warheads each

Many criticisms

No verification procedures

Reductions not permanent -
decommissioned weapons stored,
not destroyed

Either side can withdraw with
three month's notice.