Nuclear Test Ban Treaties
Nuclear Test Ban Treaties refer to international agreements aimed at prohibiting nuclear weapon tests to mitigate the proliferation of nuclear arms and reduce the risk of nuclear conflict. Beginning in the 1950s, concerns over radioactive fallout and the increasing number of nuclear-armed states prompted discussions primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union. The pivotal Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, signed on August 5, 1963, banned nuclear testing in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater, while permitting underground tests. This treaty arose in the context of heightened tensions, particularly during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and was instrumental in initiating a series of arms-control negotiations between the superpowers.
Subsequent agreements, including the Outer Space Treaty in 1967 and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968, built upon the framework established by the initial treaty, promoting disarmament and non-proliferation efforts. Public sentiment in the U.S. was generally supportive of these treaties, though the strategic competition between nuclear powers did not diminish significantly, maintaining a persistent threat of nuclear war. The legacy of these treaties has influenced further arms control measures, underscoring the ongoing global endeavor to manage nuclear weapons and promote peace.
Nuclear Test Ban Treaties
Date: Dates 1963, 1967, 1968
A set of international arms-control agreements involving nuclear weapons. These treaties, signed in 1963, 1967, and 1968, were designed to reduce the chance of nuclear war, lower the levels of destruction if such a war occurred, and minimize the cost of existing military establishments.
Origins and History
In the 1950’s and early 1960’s, the United States and the Soviet Union began talks on limiting nuclear testing because of public concern about radioactive fallout and the growing number of countries that possessed nuclear weapons. The comprehensive test ban treaty negotiations, which focused on preventing underwater, outer-space, underground, and atmospheric tests and on stopping the proliferation of nuclear weapons, signaled the beginning of major arms-control talks between the two superpowers.
The Treaties
In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, the United States and the Soviet Union embraced the global arms-control movement. The nuclear arms race was out of control, and the superpowers began talks to reduce the danger of nuclear war. On August 5, 1963, the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom formally signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibited nuclear-weapons testing in the atmosphere, outer space, and under water but allowed underground testing. The danger of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the failure of communication between the superpowers, among other strategic conditions, provided the momentum for the treaty.
After the treaty was signed in 1963, relations between the United States and the Soviet Union remained fairly stable. On January 27, 1967, the two superpowers, along with sixty other nations, signed the Outer Space Treaty, which prohibited using outer space for military purposes, including those involving nuclear weapons.
On July 1, 1968, the two superpowers and fifty-eight other nations signed the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty, which prohibited nonnuclear nations from manufacturing and testing nuclear weapons. This treaty was the first international arms-control agreement that applied to nations that did not possess nuclear weapons. In return for their cooperation, the nonnuclear nations received commitments from the nuclear powers that they would seek an end to the nuclear arms race and pursue other disarmament measures.
Impact
The impact on U.S. society of the nuclear test ban treaties was positive; most Americans reacted favorably. However, the strategic nuclear arms competition between the superpowers became more heated, intensifying the threat of nuclear war.
Subsequent Events
The nuclear test ban treaties inspired the 1971 Seabed Treaty, the U.S.-Soviet 1974 Threshold Test Ban Treaty, and the U.S.-Soviet Peaceful Nuclear Explosion Treaty. More important, the superpowers agreed to reduce their strategic offensive nuclear systems and to limit their deployment of antiballistic missile sites in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I), signed in May, 1972. In November, 1979, SALT II was signed, extending the 1963 treaty banning nuclear testing and further limiting the deployment of antiballistic missile sites.
Additional Information
An excellent study on nuclear test ban treaties can be found in International Arms Control: Issues and Agreements (1984), edited by Coit D. Blacker and Gloria Duffy.