Politics of Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons have occupied a central role in international politics since their introduction in 1945. As weapons of overwhelming destructive power, their use today would be widely regarded as a disaster, yet nations continue to rely on them for security and deterrence, as well as associate them with status and prestige. The advent of nuclear weapons has challenged traditional conceptions of power, security, defense, and even morality. Vast disagreements continue to exist about many aspects of these weapons. Today, nuclear weapons pose a major global governance challenge for the world.