Britain's nuclear deterrent

Question 1

What are the arguements in favour of British nuclear deterrent?

Answer 1

• Lab govt. feared that US might be unwilling to defend Europe if they needed nuke to deter USSR (before NATO Treaty signed in ‘49) who had larger conventional weapons than Western Europe. Therefore Labs. built British nuke bomb in ‘47.
• British Nuke deterrent continues to cintribute to defence of W Europe.
• Posession of idependent deterrent maintains Britain’s ‘great’ power status.
• Thatcher argued that: ‘nuclear weappons have…given us forty years of unprecedeted peace in Europe’ + ‘if we ever abolished nuclear weapons, this would make conventional, biological or chemical war more likely’.

Question 2

What have been the arguments against the British nuclear deterrent?

Answer 2

• British nuclear deterrent has not been indeptendent, but reliant on the Americans- This has been since 1962 when Macmillan persuaded Kennedy to supply Britain with Polaris missiles to carry British warheads.
• When measured against size of American Russian nuclear arsenals, British nuclear deterrent is virtually irrelevant.
• Heavy costs of maintaining- govt can’t then invest in other areas e.g. education + health services + conventional forms of defence.
• Ethical reasons- make the world more dangerous- radiation.

Question 3

How have nuclear weapons been anc issue in British domestic politicsi n the 1950s and 1960s?

Answer 3

• During late 50s + early 60s, pressure grew for nukes to be abandoned to make world safer.
• 1958- CND founded + began series of anual protest marches from nuclear weapons plant at Aldermaston + Berkshire ot Trafalgar square. -1960 march attracted ~ 100,000 protesters.
• Supporters of nukes said that they were needed to prevent Soviet aggression though it was clear that by 1960s, Britain needed US missiles to deliver its bomb.
• Lab party = more divided over issue than Cons.

Question 4

• What have been the international agreements on nuclear technology?

Answer 4

• ‘63, Britain, USSR + US - banning nuclear testing in space, underwater + atmosphere.
• ‘68 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty -Britain signed- signatories agreed not to share nuclear tech w other nations.
• Britain played little part in Strategic Arms Limitations Treaties (SALT) in ‘72 + ‘79 between US + USSR as British deterrent was made increasingly insignificant with the build-up of nuke armed missiles by two superpowers.

Question 5

What has been the role of nuclear weapons in the 80s?

Answer 5

Nuclear balance between East + West has been controversial…as per usual.

• Mid 70s, USSR begun depolying SS-20 intemediate range missiles (capable of hitting targets anywhere in Europe). -In response, NATO powers agreed to deploy US intermediate range cruise missiles in ‘79.
• This ^^ made the liklihood of Europe becoming a nuclear battleground greater. + promted a group of women in ‘81 to set up women-only protest camp at RAF + USAF base at Greenham Common in Berkshire. -Protest against US nukes sitting on British bases. -Camps lasted 19 years.
• The collapse of USSR in ‘91 led to agreements where both USA + USSR significantly reduced their nuclear arsenals.
• At end of century, Britain’s uclear policy remained much like its foreign policy, nominally independent but in reality, reliant on the US.
• Debate continues about the cost, ethical issues and viability of nuclear option.

Question 6

What was Thatcher’s view of nuclear weapons?

Answer 6

• She was alarmed by Reagan’s willingness in his discussions w Gorbachev to embrace ‘zero option’ -complete abolition of nukes by both sides. (‘Zero option’ not adopted).
• she thought that abolition of nukes would leave Europe exposed to conventional forces of USSR which were much larger than NATO’s

Question 7

What is Britain’s nuclear arsenal like?

Answer 7

• Thatcher insisted that the USA supply Britain with Trident submarine-launched missiles to replace ageing Polaris.
• The intermediate-range cruise missiles depolyed in ‘83 were removed as part of Intermediate-range nuclear forces Treaty (INF), abolishing missiles within a range of 500-5500 km.
• At end of Cold War, Britain’s stockpile of nuclear weapons was reduced to fewer than 200, all of which were assigned to its four Trident submarines.