Nuclear Weapons against Japan - Essay Example

In what ways did the use of nuclear weapons against Japan Change international relations? On August 6 1945, Hiroshima a coastal city with over three hundred people became the first target ever of an atomic bomb. Killing instantly about 71000 men women and children mostly by sudden fatal burning and secondary fires ten thousands were to die slowly of wounds burns and radiation sickness. On August 7 the same fatal fate befell Nagasaki, a harbour city on Japan opposite western shore .A few days later Japan surrendered (bulleting of atomic scientist, 1970) International relation could no longer remain unaffected by proliferation of the nuclear weapon in the world. The first use of atomic bomb symbolized the ever widening gap between mans dynamic progress in the attainment of destructive capacity through science and technology and his corresponding lack of progress in area of peace and security. In his message to congress President Truman on October in 3 1943 stated that; ‘International relations as in domestic affairs, release of atomic energy constitutes a new force to revolutionary to consider in framework of old ideas. (Viner, 1946 p 53). The use of nuclear weapons meant that that nations were the only genuine international actors as well as the only foundation for national defence since states in the nuclear power had ability to annihilate one another, none of the states would be willing to pick up a nuclear risk for another one, since its every survival would be at stake. Secondly no state could fully trust one another. Nuclear bipolarity forced all states that were non –nuclear to line up in their respective blocks, and prevented legitimate emergence of other nuclear actors. Nuclear weapons and threat had an influence on how states and statement acts. For these reasons the use of nuclear weapons would not, could not and will not be ignored. (Lewis, 1999. p225) International relation as a system of interaction between nations underwent major changes. From the end of the Second World War up to the end of cold war in 1991 several issues gained prominence in the international relations. These are; strengthened existence of non state actors as vital players in international relations, energy, environment, terrorism, globalization, communication and revolution. Although the world become unipolar as the United States remained the only super power. The present international relations became more interdependent due to spread of globalization and international trade, information technology evolution, terrorism and environmental degradation. States started to seek cooperation from other states and compete with each other as they became largely dependent with each other. (aneek chaterjee, 2010 p7) After the bombing of Japan, they surrendered and this led to the end of the Second World War. This was seen by many in Britain as blessing in disguise as it provided a unique rapture in the international relations and provided an opportunity for its reconstruction into a peaceful and lasting form. He focus shifted in united nation organisations and allied agencies. (The Journal American History published, 2011) Use of nuclear weapons haunted every international conference and treaties.First and vital cause of use of nuclear weapons against the Japan led to the cold war. “Cold war was a product of clash between Soviet Union and American Ideologies and stuggle for advantage between the two and the personality of John Stalin”( Colin S Gray 2007). In addition it caused a split to the second world wars allies especially between the United States and the Soviet Union. There two issues that strained the relationship of the United States and Soviet Union: the secrecy of manufacturing the atomic bomb and the sequential dropping of the bomb in Japan. Soviet Union viewed this as betrayal of trust between the two super powers. This became the beginning of mutual suspicion and mistrust that led to mutual distrust between the two nations. United States continued to enjoy the monopoly of the nuclear bomb until 1949 when Soviet Union acquired nuclear, consequently the United States dominated the international relations and policies. Race for arms and military alliances became order of the day in late forties and late fifties. Nuclear weapons encouraged a process of bipolarization in the international relations. Newly independent weak and small countries felt freighted by destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons hence they sought protection of one or the other nuclear power. Later on proliferation of these very weapons were very instrumental in breaking up bipolar world and ushering in multi polar world (Malhotra 2006 pg 349 -52) After proliferation of nuclear weapons threat to international peace increased and the future to international peace became uncertain, the mutual suspicion between the United States and Soviet Union avoided confrontation between them. However there were ideological differences. After the bombing of Japan these countries knew the adverse destruction of the nuclear weapons. Great destruction of nuclear weapons rendered their use prohibitive. Mutual suspicion and need for cease fire and the need the avoid confrontation caused countries to form treaties to avert future use of nuclear powers in a destructive way .After the Cuban Missile crisis and after the Japan nuclear bombing countries realized the of igning treaties. In 1962 a partial test treaty (PTBT) was signed in Moscow banning all nuclear testing under water or space. United states, Britain, Soviet Union, signed the treaty but France and China did not reducing the effectiveness of (PTBT) after ward nunclear non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was signed. To date 189 states have signed.North Korea signed but later withdrew in 2003. NPT had three areas non-proliferation, disarmament and right to peaceful use of nuclear energy. Member countries met in Newyork and extended NPT indefinitely. India and Pakistan declined to sign NPT. The two countries felt NPT is discriminatory as it created imbalance in possession of the nuclear energy .they felt that the nuclear power countries maintained absolute control over the nuclear energy ( Annek Chattersee, 2010 P 155) One of the major critics of non-proliferation treaties is that it favored the nuclear powers countries. One of the most serious setbacks of the treaties was failure of United States and other nuclear states to live up with the commitment to end the arms race. In 2001 the bush administration withdrew from the anti-ballistic missile treaty thus opening the way to arms race in the outer space. The United States also has been having underground nuclear test in Nevada in complete violation of the comprehensive nuclear treaty and has been maintaining tactical nuclear weapons at bases in Europe in clear violation of a pledge made at the 2000 non-proliferation treaty review. United States is not the only country violating the nuclear treaties; Russia has embarked on a program of rearmament and major developments in its antiballistic defenses. This undermines efforts to persuade countries to sign the treaty and dissuade other countries from going ahead with secret nuclear weapon development. Complete nuclear disarmament is not a practical solution to the current international relations (Wilkinson, 2010 p150) Nuclear power was distinctive as to the menance it brought to the brought to the international relations. For several decades there was no genuine political dialogue between Moscow and Washington. The two dared not to compete directly by force of arms consequently he arms race and it limitation became an avenue for talk for the two protagonists. Moscow and Washington could not talk directly about settling their political differences but used the avenue to ease political temperatures and improve their mutual understanding by engaging in highly technical discussion on the limitation of arms .Soviet union was against the world of democratic antagonism, useful realtion was not to be achieved by arms control. (Gray, 2007 p210-11) Devastating effects of nuclear weapons has freighte the peple in big or small countries. Threat to the world peace has led to the people in the west initiate peace movements. Proliferation of nuclear weapons ensured that there is no open confrontation between countries as they were use of thes e power would cause harm to both countries. The war on Vietnam, Korea, Suez, Cuba and gulf war are prove destructive capacity of nuclear weapons prevented these nations from using the nuclear power.This as been called by some scholars as ‘terror balance’ others call it ‘nuclear deterrence’. (Malhotra, 2006 p 336) After the bombing countries there ware in a rush of obtaining nuclear power. Until September 1949 United the United States enjoyed monopoly of nuclear power when Russia exploded its first Atomic bomb Britain became the third on October 1952 and France became the fourth member to own nuclear arsenal. Countries hurried to own nuclear power for their own security; however no country had intention of using nuclear because the destructive effects rendered its use Recipient of sensitive nuclear assistance Year of first assistance Suppliers Type of assistance China 1958 USSR Plutonium Processing, Uranium Enrichment Israel 1959 France Plutonium Processing, nuclear weapon design Japan 1971 France Plutonium Processing Pakistan 1974 France, China Plutonium Re-Processing uranium enrichment and nuclear weapon design Taiwan 1975 France Plutonium Processing Iraq 1976 Italy Plutonium Processing Brazil 1979 Germany Plutonium Processing and uranium enrichment Egypt 1980 France Plutonium Processing Iran 1984 China , Pakistan Plutonium Processing and uranium enrichment Algeria 1986 China , Pakistan Plutonium Processing Libya 1997 Pakistan Plutonium Processing, nuclear weapon design North Korea 1997 Pakistan Plutonium Processing, nuclear weapon design prohibitive. The table below shows how different countries assisted one another in acquiring nuclear weapon. From 1959 to 1965 France provided sensitive materials to Israel, more than two years after French assistance Israel is believed to have had its first nuclear weapon. China assisted Pakistan in 1980s then recently Pakistan distributed nuclear technology to Libya, North Korea and Iran. While some nuclear able states have transferred sensitive technology on nuclear powers other have chosen to refrain. (Kroenig, 2010 p200) Work Cited Aneek Chaterjee, International relations today Pearson Education India .2010. p 2-3 Bulleting of atomic scientist June 1970 vol26, No6 pg4 Colin S. Gray, War, peace and international relations: an introduction to strategic history.2007. p210 Jacob Vainer. The Implications of the Atomic Bomb for International Relations, American Philosophical Society.Vol. 90, No. 1, 1946 p. 53-58 John Lewis Gaddis, Cold War statesmen confront the bomb: nuclear diplomacy since 1945, edition2, Oxford University Press 1999 p225-226 Matthew Kroenig, exporting the bomb: technology transfer and the spread of nuclear weapons, Columbia university press.2010. p200 Malhotra V.K , international relations, anmol publications PVT.LTD, third edition.2006.p 336 Paul Wilkinson, International relations. Sterling publishing company.inc .2010.p150 oxford journals. The Journal American History, oxford journals vol .2010. issue 6 pg 309- 310 Read More