In what way did the invention and accessibility of nuclear weapons Essay

In what way did the invention and accessibility of nuclear weapons affect the post World War II peace cycle - Essay Example In order to assure these fundamental targets are met, the nations of the world formed the United Nations which was a global organization with the obligation of protecting individual rights and the need for people to get a good life wherever they lived4. The United Nations formed a framework through which nations could deal with each other peacefully and eschew violence and widespread human rights abuses. Unlike its predecessor [the League of Nations], the United Nations was made up of two main tiers: the General Assembly and the Security Council5. The Security Council was made up of five permanent members who were allied nations that had worked together to defeat Nazi Germany: Britain, China, France, United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics6. Currently, global peace revolves around the United Nations and the negotiations between nations and their neighbors. The scope of destruction that the atomic bomb created was unprecedented. Due to this, ammunition like the atomi c bomb, collectively classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has become an important aspect of global security. This paper examines the ways through which nuclear weapons and its proliferation by nations have affected the peace cycle in the world after World War II. Nuclear Diplomacy The period after World War II led to a phase that has been described as the era of nuclear diplomacy. This is because the use of nuclear weapons have created the framework within which rivalry between nations have been formed. The nuclear weapons have guided the kind of discussions and tensions that have existed around the world to-date. â€Å"Since the dawn of the nuclear age at Hiroshima in 1945, states have conditional diplomacy in the shadow of the bomb†7. In actual fact, a major war was ended through the use of the atomic bomb. Due to this, it is used as a potential for bargaining. This is because the possession of nuclear weapons seems to present a nation as a strong nation that can not be challenged. In other words, the possession of nuclear weapons creates a bargaining leverage for nations which enables them to bargain on the backdrop of the risk of planetary destruction8. This is because any attempt to launch a Third World War could lead to the launching of nuclear weapons which could destroy the entire planet. US Monopoly Throughout history, the United States is the only country that has ever used a weapon of mass destruction in war. After World War II, the United States wielded a monopoly over nuclear weapons until the Soviet Union came to overtly possess nuclear weapons. Fearing the abuse and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the United States was the first nation that sought to control the use of nuclear weapons for military purposes. â€Å"In his first attempt to bring nuclear weapons under control, Eisenhower emphasized the potential benefits of nuclear energy rather than its destructive potential†9. Eisenhower launched the Atoms-For-Peace c ampaign in 1953 with the hope of creating an atomic energy bank which will enable nations to pursue nuclear energy in place of nuclear weapons. This was to lead to cooperation with friendly nations. However, the Soviet Union rejected this initiative. They were not satisfied with the idea of the United States