Nuclear Countries, Nuclear Weapons And Strategic Research

The emergence of nuclear weapons was the combined product of both scientific and technological development and the strategic demand of the big powers in the world. How to analyze the security implications of the nuclear weapons and the strategies of various nuclear powers is one of the major concerns in China defense community. The study of these issues usually includes the general world background against which nuclear weapons were produced; the intrinsic links and their mutual impacts on the nuclear strategies of the nuclear powers; and the future trends of these strategies in the new situation in the post-Cold War year. The present dissertation attempts to substantiate the above-mentioned study by focusing on evolution of the nuclear strategy of each of the countries, which have acquired nuclear capabilities in either overt or covert ways. Using comparative methodology, the paper stresses putting the nuclear issues against a larger context of the world strategic situation. The major interest, however, is in each of the nuclear powers?specific interests, their strategic requirements and the ways of their applications of them at different periods of time, that have relevance to nuclear weapons. Based on the analyses, it finally draws some conclusions, which hopefully may throw light on the challenges that China will be faced with in the nuclear field in the new century. The dissertation accordingly is divided into 4 parts with 22 chapters. Part 1 analyzes the historical background against which nuclear weapons came into being and nuclear states emerged, with its own strategic intentions. Part 2 focuses on the development of nuclear arsenals and strategies of specific nuclear powers, including the five publicly acknowledged nuclear weapon states: the USA, USSR, Britain, France, and China, and those so called nuclear-threshold states including India, Israel, and South Africa during the Cold War years. Part 3 explores the changes of nuclear strategic environments and their security implications to the nuclear issues since the end of the Cold War. These issues include the consequent adjustments of nuclear strategies, the threats of nuclear proliferation and the prospect of the international disarmament and arms control in the future. Part 4 elaborates the role of new technology in the development of nuclear weapons and the change of nuclear doctrines. A study is also included on the effort by the world people to promote the nuclear disarmament and the attainment of a nuclear free world.