Nuclear diffusion: A rethinking of why nation-states "go nuclear"

Nuclear Diffusion: A Rethinking of Horizontal Nuclear Weapons Proliferation examines the spread of nuclear weapons throughout the nuclear age. What is pondered are the specific reasons why a state would pursue a nuclear weapons deterrent. For example, are there identifiable reasons or conditions that explain horizontal nuclear weapons proliferation? While numerous arguments have been made for why countries proliferate, this piece posits a simple assumption; A non-nuclear state is inclined to proliferate because of the dramatic nature of the nuclear threat. The imperiled non-nuclear state prefers to proliferate as only the nuclear deterrent ensures relative security in an anarchic nuclear-armed world. Whereas peace may prevail in the absence of nuclear weapons, relative security demands the imperilled state to question whether it needs nuclear weapons. Should a state desire to remove vulnerability, it is the unfortunate reality of the nuclear age that nuclear peace must begin and end with the nuclear weapon.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Political Science

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Year

1996

Author dc:creator

• Kofinis, Chris

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/rtds/597

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oasis.library.unlv.edu:rtds-1596