Since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the U.S. has wrestled with the issue of controlling the spread of nuclear weapons.
The U.S. military imperatives of preventing other countries from developing the ultimate weapon have conflicted with the political, economic, and commercial potential of selectively sharing its nuclear secrets. In past years, rumors and revelations of atomic testing
in South Africa, Israel, India, and other nations have heightened fears over the consequences of nuclear proliferation.
Most recently, exposure of Iraq's nuclear capabilities has led the non-proliferation community to reassess the impact of the U.S. government's policies throughout the nuclear age.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation, 1945-1990 provides a comprehensive documentary record of U.S. nuclear non-proliferation policy from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki through the recent IAEA inspections of Iraq's nuclear program.
Over 2,700 documents, totaling approximately 14,000 pages, offer researchers the most complete collection of primary documents related to U.S. non-proliferation policy available anywhere. Recently declassified and unclassified government documents--publis hed here for the first time--provide scholars with immediate access to the historical record from three policymaking periods:
Index: United States. Department of State--does not
believe that Pakistan--possesses Nuclear devices--
although the Kahuta Uranium Enrichment Plant
(Pakistan)--is capable of producing Uranium--which
can be used for Nuclear weapons production
(01010) | 1986/07/18 |
In the Guide and Index, the nine-page memorandum to Dr. Kissinger receives a full catalog entry, three subject sentences,
and eight index terms, detail typical of Archive indexing standards.
Researchers will find that Nuclear Non-Proliferation, 1945-1990:
Presents a unique and comprehensive compilation of information from the first atomic test in 1945 to the recent investigations of U.S. exports of dual-capable technology to India, Pakistan, Israel, and South Africa.
Provides the basis for all future inquiry into the evolution of U.S. non-proliferation policy as well as current policy.
Contains some of the earliest previously classified U.S. government assessments of the capability of de facto nuclear weapons states and declaratory statements of U.S. non-proliferation policy towards those countries.
Documents the changes and growth of the U.S.-Soviet non-proliferation relationship in one of the earliest spheres of cooperation between the superpowers.
Establishes a starting point for scholarly research on a variety of related topics in international security.
Establishes the link between alliance relationships and the spread of nuclear weapons capability.
Examines the connection between exporting technology for developing nuclear energy and exporting nuclear weapons technology.
Praise for Nuclear Non-Proliferation, 1945-1990
"I have devoted several years to research on the history of the negotiation of the NPT--using presidential library materials and
Freedom of Information Act requests. Neither the libraries' nor the government's responses to my requests produced as many
useful documents as are in the National Security Archive's Nuclear Non-Proliferation collection. This collection is a gold mine
for scholars interested in how the NPT was negotiated."
George Bunn
Center for International Security and Arms Control
Stanford University
"An essential new source of information that will be invaluable to students of U.S. government efforts to curb the spread of nuclear arms."
Leonard S. Spector
Director, Non-Proliferation Project and
Senior Associate
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Spring 1992
Dr. Peter Clausen (in memoriam, 1944-1991), Director of Research, Union of Concerned Scientists
Dr. Zachary Davis, Analyst, Energy and Natural Resources Division, Congressional Research Service
Warren Donnelly, Senior Specialist, Energy and Natural Resources Division, Congressional Research Service
Dr. Lawrence Scheinman, Professor, Peace Studies Program, Cornell University
Leonard Spector, Director, Non-Proliferation Project, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Professor Gary Milhollin Director, Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control
Virginia Foran, Project Editor
Joshua Winchester, Research Assistant
Jonathan Weinstein, Research Assistant
Lisa Evanson, Research Assistant
Jung S. Chon, Project Intern
Roslind Reynolds, Project Intern
Ann Herpel, Analyst
Craig Keller, Analyst