Worlds together, worlds apart - Nuclear Paradox

In these series of blog posts titled "Worlds together, worlds apart" I would like to explore ideas and events of geopolitical nature. Matters of international affairs and geopolitical games are the very complex. There are no simple answers to many issues, yet complexity should not stop interest, engagement and discussions of these matters. These series are not intended to be academic works, nor would I claim factual/historical accuracy. Rather my focus is of philosopical nature and discussing complex matters in simplest terms.

Any idea presented should not be interpreted as a representation of peoples but of geopolitical players. Interests of all peoples of the world are similar: tranquility, food, shelter, family, individual liberties, human rights, justice and peaceful societies in general. However, interests of geopolitical players do not always align with these core notions. Geopolitics is often dictated by ambitions for power, influence, and national interests.

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TL;DR

While 20th century went into history as the era of massive advancements in science and technology, incredible achievements in many various disciplines, the growth of and in humanity, bringing the worlds together; at the same time 20th century witnessed two World Wars, a Cold War, and several local wars. History is filled with wars: kingdoms, empires, countries fought various wars throughout the history. Often times aggressions started with economic and military advancement. The World Wars were of a massive scale, destructive and devastating for the entire world. It didn't take long for the World War II to start after the end of the World War I. Second World War lead to the invention of a nuclear bomb.

Today, nuclear weapons are thousand times more powerful than the one we had half a century ago. If there is a war at the scale of World Wars, the world as we know it would cease to exist. Hence, nuclear weapons pose a great threat to the existence of all of humanity. Paradoxically, nuclear weapons are what saved us from another World War happening. Instead, we had the Cold War. Do nuclear weapons present danger or safety? or both?

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Race to create a nuclear weapon

Nuclear fission was discovered in 1939. Very quickly after the start of WWII, the Allies were thinking, We can harness nuclear fission to do one of two things: create power or make a bomb. Einstein and a group of physicists who’d escaped Germany began research as early as 1940, assembling supplies and trying to figure out whether an atomic bomb was feasible. The exact same thing was happening in Germany. A German physicist named Kurt Diebner was the spearhead of the program. He recruited a number of physicists, among them Nobel Prize-winner Werner Heisenberg, who began doing the basic research, getting heavy water and figuring out, like the Allies, how to create a reactor and a bomb. By 1942, they were all, in essence, in the same place.
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In 1940 Nazi Germany occupied Norway and got control of a heavy water plant in Vemork, Norway which played a crucial role in Nazi nuclear energy research and atomic bomb program. Nazis were planning to use heavy water as a moderator instead of graphite. One event during the war played a significant role, that was the sabotage and destruction of heavy water plant in Vermork, Norway. If it wasn't for the heroism of Norwegians in passing intelligence to Allies and carrying out the operation Gunnerside in 1943 sabotaging heavy water plant, it was highly possible nazis could have won the nuclear race and the war.

The United States in cooperation with the United Kingdom and Canada had a secret project under the codename Manhattan project for research and development of nuclear weapons. Interestingly, the project was also kept secret from their ally the Soviet Union. Even Allies had trust issues with each other, at the same time all players had strategies in place for after war affairs. Soviets started their own nuclear program during the war, however, their program heavily relied on intelligence gathered by their spies. In the end Manhattan project produced an atomic bomb. Although the project was kept tightly secret, Soviet spies manage to steal enough intelligence to advance their own program.

In August of 1945, the United States drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which goes into history as one of the greatest tragedies caused by the mankind. Some argue, these bombings were necessary to end the Pacific War, as Japan would not surrender. Others say this was to show the Soviets the military might of the United States and completely unnecessary. Exactly 4 years after the bombing the Soviet conduct successful tests of their own nuclear weapon. After the World War II two super powers emerged: the United States and the Soviet Union. Rivalry for geopolitical, ideological, and economic influence around the world spread as the world has never before. Both players being nuclear powers now couldn't risk direct conflict, instead several proxy wars in various regions were launched.

The Cold War lasted from after the end of World War II up until the collapse of Soviet Union. Some would say it has never ended. Nevertheless, during the time of bipolar world influence the threat of emergence of the new world war was very frightening as it would probably be the last world war that world has ever seen. Commonly accepted nuclear doctrine was mutually assured destruction. In the event of direct conflict, both parties would launch full scale nuclear attacks against each other and allies.

Doomsday Clock

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In 1947 Chicago Atomic Scientists began publishing newsletters which turns into a magazine Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. They come up with a symbolic representation of nuclear danger that is displayed by the clock. It started out with 7 minutes to midnight. Midnight representing imminent nuclear danger. Clock hand is changed based on important geopolitical events. Currently it shows 2 minute to midnight, that is the closest it has been.

There is no more Soviet Union. The world does not have bipolar super powers. Yet, nuclear weapons race has not stopped. It has actually resumed with reemergence of tense relations between the United States and Russia. Nuclear doctrine of mutually assured destruction is taking a new shape. Russia is considering new doctrine of possible isolated preemptive nuclear strikes at military facilities. This may cause a response changes in doctrines of other geopolitical players.

Today, there are more nuclear powers. Danger of new conflict that can escalate to nuclear one is more real than ever. Existence of nuclear weapons saved the world from the next World War. At the same time it remains to be one of the greatest threats to our existence. I am optimistic that one day world leaders will come to their senses and choose cooperation instead of conflict/rivalry and utilize brilliant minds once again to come up with a better solutions for mutually beneficial coexistence. In twenty first century, there are other instruments that can be developed and utilized to prevent future wars. There is not need to rely on nuclear weapons for safety.