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Defining Documents in World History: The Nuclear Age
Before 1945, the nations of the world could safely assume that any wars fought between them would be damaging but not annihilating. That changed with the deployment of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
The nuclear era challenged previous assumptions about war and peace, as political leaders were forced to ponder how nuclear war could be fought, how it could be prevented, and what the meaning of victory, defense, and survival were. With the Cold War between the Soviets and Western nations growing, one key guiding principle became deterrence through strength, resulting in massive buildups of nuclear arsenals: enough weapons were present to destroy the world a thousand time over.
Along with lingering fears of mass destruction, the nuclear age brought with it serious efforts to reduce nuclear capabilities in order to ensure the survival of the planet. It also brought the promise of nuclear energy, a promise fraught with numerous obstacles regarding safety and security. In recent years new concerns have arisen around the spread of nuclear technology and the potential for “dirty bombs.”
These volumes explore the development of nuclear technology and its use in military weapons and power generation. Documents examined include policy statements, international agreements, threat assessments, reports by watchdog organizations, historical accounts, political speeches, and more.
The material is organized into five sections, each beginning with a brief introduction that examines the importance of the topic through a variety of historical documents.
- The Atomic Age Begins
- The Early Cold War and Nuclear Weapons
- The Red Scare and Atomic Spies
- To the Nuclear Brink and Back
- The End of History?
- The Nuclear World Order Now
The Atomic Age Begins includes documents such as Albert Einstein’s Letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, Letter to Robert Oppenheimer regarding a “Special Laboratory” in New Mexico, A Petition to the President Regarding the Atomic Bomb, President Truman’s Announcement of the Hiroshima Bombing, and several sections about The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Early Cold War and Nuclear Weapons includes documents such as Declaration on the Atomic Bomb, Atomic Energy and International Trade, NATO Treaty, Atomic Explosion in the USSR, International Control of Atomic Energy, NSC 68: “United States Objectives and Programs for National Security”, Statement by President Truman upon Signing the Mutual Security Act, “The Chance for Peace”, Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Republic of Korea, A “New Look” at National Defense Policy, “Atoms for Peace”, Warsaw Pact, Launching of the Sputnik Satellite, Eisenhower on Science in National Security, Documents Relating to Project Chariot, National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, and the Antarctic Treaty
The Red Scare and Atomic Spies begins with the Testimony of Whittaker Chambers (Excerpted), then is followed Klaus Fuchs Statement of Guilt, Senator Joseph McCarthy’s Speech to the Republican Women’s Club of Wheeling, West Virginia, Rosenberg Case Excerpts, In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer and Censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy.
To the Nuclear Brink and Back includes documents such as The U-2 Spy-Plane Incident—Excerpts of a Speech by Khrushchev, Eisenhower’s Speech on the Military-Industrial Complex, Telegram from the US Mission in Berlin regarding the Sealing-off of East Berlin, JFK: “We Choose to Go to the Moon”, JFK on the Soviet Arms Buildup in Cuba, JFK: “A Strategy of Peace”, Limited Test Ban Treaty, Treaty on the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Robert McNamara Speech on US Nuclear Strategy, Community Fallout Shelter Plan, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Nuclear Accidents Measures Agreement, Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (SALT I), SALT II, and Jimmy Carter on the Three Mile Island Incident.
The End of History? includes From The Fate of the Earth, Ronald Reagan’s “Evil Empire” Speech, Able Archer ‘83: The Soviet “War Scare”, Reagan on the Strategic Defense Initiative, Extraordinary Session of the Soviet Politburo concerning the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Program and US Security Assistance, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, START I and START II, and Agreed Framework between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The Nuclear World Order Now includes Intelligence Report on Iraq’s Programs for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Colin Powell on Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction, Hans Blix on U.N. Weapons Inspection Efforts in Iraq, “Mission to Niger” and the Valerie Plame Affair, “A World Free of Nuclear Weapons”, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Status Report, Joint Statement regarding the Iran Nuclear Accord, Authority to Order the Use of Nuclear Weapons, Marshall Islands Nuclear Commission Statement regarding Victims, Doomsday Clock 75th Anniversary, Resolution regarding Threats to the Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Nuclear Power Plant, and Nuclear Fusion Announced.
Appendixes in this book include:
- Chronological List which arranges all documents by year
- Web Resources, an annotated list of websites that offer valuable supplemental resources
- Bibliography lists of helpful articles and books for further study
About the Series
The Defining Documents series provides in-depth commentary and analysis on the most important primary source documents in the United States and the world. The Defining Documents series is perfect for students, those researching a particular era, or anyone interested in world history. Visit www.salempress.com for more information about additional titles in this series.
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