Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and Their Threat to World Peace

1. Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and Their Threat to World Peace By: Bryson Applegate May 23, 2011 World History 2nd Period

2. Background On Nuclear Weapons • Nuclear Weapons are capable of mass destruction. The mushroom cloud affect of an atomic bomb showing how powerful the bomb is. A clock store destroyed after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan during WWII. The atomic bomb ‘Fat Man’ which was later dropped on Nagasaki, Japan during WWII.

3. Nuclear Weapons A Threat to World Peace • President Ronald Reagan‘s goal once was to have a world free of nuclear weapons. He was a nuclear weapon abolitionist. • He Believed the only reason to have nuclear weapons was to use them as self defense and to keep other countries from using their nuclear weapons in retaliation. President Ronald Reagan

4. Thesis • Nuclear weapons are capable of mass destruction and are a threat to world peace, countries should not be able to have or develop nuclear weapons. • http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5062260n • Nuclear weapons must be abolished it can lead to dangers in the United States and other countries all around the world.

5. Argument/Data General Gorbachev (left) President Ronald Reagan (Right) • During the Cold War president Reagan and The Soviet Union’s leader General Gorbachev met to share their opinions on world peace and nuclear weapons. • They Came very close but Reagan saw his Strategic Defense Initiative (missile defense) as a very important plan in achieving world peace. • Even though Reagan promised to share missile defense plan with the Soviet Union, Gorbachev denied. Therefore there was no agreement made.

6. Argument/Data • As a result of Reagan and Gorbachev not being able to come to an agreement. Nuclear Weapons are a threat to humanity and continue to develop in other countries world wide today. Map of the countries that are expected to have/have Nuclear Weapons.

7. Argument/Data • Nuclear weapons create chaos. • During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the United States was in chaos and full of panic. • There was always the chance that the S.U. could launch a missile at the U.S. from Cuba. • The United States did everything they could so that at any time if a missile were fired the would be prepared. • Examples of chaos were: children in the middle of the school day being asked to go under their desks for a bomb drill, the government trying to decide on what to do with the suspected attack. A political cartoon showing how both the S.U. and the U.S. had nuclear power but never used them. They only ever used their words.

8. Question #1 • Which president was a nuclear abolitionist? • President Kennedy • President Ford • President Reagan

9. Answer #1 C. President Reagan

10. Question #2 • True or False • Russia currently has the most nuclear warheads?

11. Answer #2 • True estimated 8,500 nuclear warheads.

12. Question #3 • During the Cold War which two leaders met to discuss their opinions on nuclear weapons?

13. Answer #3 • The Soviet Union’s leader Gorbachev and the United States President Ronald Reagan.