Nature of nuclear weapons

Question 1

Example of the use of nuclear weaponry

Answer 1

Atomic bombs developed by the Manhattan Project, which were exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945

Question 2

What bombs are 2000x more powerful than atomic bombs?

Answer 2

Hydrogen/thermonuclear bombs

Question 3

What is the devastation of nuclear bombs?

Answer 3

Blast effect
Thermal radiation creates fire-storm
Nuclear radiation

Question 4

When were nuclear weapons recognised as WMD by UN?

Answer 4

1948 - it covers chemical and biological weapons (CBW) sometimes grouped as atomic, biological and chemical weapons (ABC).

Question 5

How can it be argued that WMD is a distinct category of weapons?

Answer 5

Large potential to inflict massive collateral damage - on a scale that conventional weapons struggle to compete with
Their use also raises moral questions - suggested they’re ‘non-legitimate’ and ‘inhuman’
Particularly powerful deterrent, making attacks on states with WMD’s almost unthinkable

Question 6

How can it be argued that WMD is not a distinct category of weapons?

Answer 6

WMD dependence on conventional weapons systems (missiles to deliver them) Sustained conventional aerial bombardment can inflict a similar scale of collateral damage that WMD do.

Question 7

What are nuclear weapons the only genuine example of?

Answer 7

WMD, as chemical and biological weapons (CBW) can be small scale adn more ‘useable’ than nuclear weapons, such a trend away from the use of nuclear weapons with large explosive potential creates a distinction between nuclear weaponry - usable and unusable.