Regis Jesuit High School Model United Nations Conference Regis XV Background Guide Security Council Topic 1‐ Global Nuclear Tensions Author‐ Tyler Hinton N.A.T.O and The Soviet Union/Russian Federation
Nuclear Weapons in World War II : Nuclear weapons were developed in the 1940’s by
American scientists participating in the Manhattan Project. Although the United States was the
first country to obtain nuclear weapons, the Soviet Union and Germany had programs aimed at
developing nuclear weapons as well. Nazi Germany fell before it could develop an atomic bomb,
but the Soviet nuclear program continued past World War II. The only nation to use nuclear
weapons in a war is the United States, who dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and August 9th of 1945 respectively.
The Beginning of the Cold War: The Cold War began during World War II as tensions
between western nations and the Soviet Union grew. Both sides feared the growing power of the
other. The division of Germany post World War II, the Truman Doctrine, the Soviet blockade of
West Berlin, and the Marshall Plan had steadily increased tensions between the United States
and its allies and the Soviet Union. After the Nazi’s fell in 1945, Germany was divided into four
sections that were governed by one of the major allied powers in World War II. The British,
French, and Americans decided to combine their sections of Germany and created West
Germany. The Soviet Union created East Germany with the remaining territory, but the city of
Berlin (the capitol of Nazi Germany) was divided in half and the western half of the city was
controlled by West Germany. In an attempt to control the entire city, the Soviet Union cut off all
supply lines entering West Berlin so that West Germany would have to surrender the city.
Instead of giving up the city, western nations set up a massive airlift of supplies into the city to
prevent it from falling into Soviet hands. The Truman Doctrine declared that the United States
would support all democratic nations under the threat of authoritarian forces with political,
economic, and military aid. This doctrine established that the United States would take a firm
stance against communist threats against capitalist nations. Furthermore, the Marshall Plan
provided relief for many war-devastated countries in Europe which won support for capitalist
governments in Southern Europe.
On September 3rd, 1949, and American B-29 bomber detected fallout over the Soviet
Union. This marked the beginning of nuclear tensions between the Soviet Union and the West.
Three years late, on November 1st, 1952, the United States exploded its first Hydrogen bomb.
This bomb was 67 times as powerful as the bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in
1945. By March of 1954, the Soviets had developed their own Hydrogen Bomb.
N.A.T.O. and the Warsaw Pact: On April 4th, 1949, The United Kingdom, France, Iceland,
Belgium, The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Greenland, Canada, and The
United States formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This organization was a military
alliance that stated that an attack against one was an attack against all. This alliance, which
eventually grew to 28 members, represented the western nations involved in the Cold War. In
response to the creation of N.A.T.O., Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany,
Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact in 1955. The Warsaw
Pact served the same function as N.A.T.O. and represented the Eastern nations involved in the
Cold War.
The Cuban/Turkish Missile Crisis: In 1962, the Soviet Union was significantly behind the
United States in the Nuclear Arms Race. The United States had enough nuclear weapons to strike
the Soviet Union in its entirety, which the Soviets only had enough missiles to hit Europe. In
April of 1962, Nikita Khrushchev (the Soviet Premier) presented the idea of placing nuclear
weapons in Cuba. Cuba was a communist country that feared a second attack from the United
States because of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. Fidel Castro of Cuba quickly agreed to allow
Soviet missiles to enter the country. On October 15th, the United States discovered Soviet missile
installations in Cuba. U.S. troops prepared for a ground invasion of Cuba and set up a naval
blockade of Cuba to prevent further weapons from entering the island. This was the closest the
Soviet Union and the U.S. came to full-scale nuclear war in the Cold War. On October 28th, the
Soviet Union agreed to pull its missiles out of Cuba in exchange for U.S. assurance that it would
not invade Cuba. In secret, the United States agreed to pull its missiles out of Turkey as well.
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (S.A.L.T.): The S.A.L.T. talks between the Soviet Union and
the United States between 1968 and 1979 which outlined agreements to limit nuclear tensions.
Two treaties were created that limited the number of nuclear weapons and restricted some
locations from having nuclear weapons within them. These negotiations ultimately failed
because of multiple Soviet violations and the invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980’s.
The End of the Cold War: The end of the Cold War is marked at the fall of the Soviet Union.
The Soviets had caused a lot of resentment in their controlled nations and multiple revolutions
were taking place. Soviet citizens called for reform in Moscow and on December 25th, 1991 the
Soviet Union officially became the Russian Federation. The fall of communism in Russia ended
the major threat of nuclear war and nuclear tensions between N.A.T.O. and Russia significantly
declined.
Modern Tensions between N.A.T.O. and The Russian Federation: As the Russian Federation
grew in political and economic strength in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, minor nuclear tensions
arose. The United States began to develop a ballistic missile defense system in 1993 to ensure
future homeland security. By 2005, the U.S. developed its first ballistic missile defensive
capabilities which have expanded significantly in recent years. This missile defense technology
has been implemented in the U.S. and throughout N.A.T.O. and Israel. The 2008 Russian
invasion of Georgia prompted the Polish government to allow a missile defense system to be
installed within its borders. This move angered Russian officials, but it is clear that both N.A.T.O.
and the Russian Federation do not have any desire to restart the Cold War.
Pakistan and India
The Formation of India and Pakistan: On July 18th, 1947 the British passed the Indian
Independence Act which granted independence to the British colony of India. The province was
divided into two countries--India and Pakistan. India consisted of all of regions that were under
Hindu control, and Pakistan consisted of the regions under Muslim control.
Early Jammu and Kashmir Tensions: Jammu and Kashmir is the epicenter of nuclear tensions
between Pakistan and India. Both regions have a Muslim majority in population but were ruled
by Hindus in 1947. Therefore, these regions fell under Indian control, angering Pakistan.
Pakistani tribesmen attacked Jammu and Kashmir in late 1947 and eventually the Pakistani and
Indian national militaries became involved to defend their territories. On January 1st, 1949 the
United Nations negotiated a cease-fire between India and Pakistan. During the cease-fire, no
referendum to discuss which nation should control the region was held. In April 1965, border
patrols became involved in a skirmish and when the Indian forces withdrew from the region
Pakistan claimed that it had won the battle. In August the Pakistani government launched a
convert assault on Indian controlled Jammu and Kashmir. In response, India launched an
invasion of Pakistan across the border at Lahore. Three weeks later a treaty was signed declaring
that the nations would use peaceful tactics to settle their disputes. All borders in the region were
returned to their locations before the war.
The East Pakistani Revolution: In 1971, East Pakistan (now known as Bangladesh) revolted
against Pakistan and due to refugees pouring into India the Indian government sided with the
rebels. On December 6th, 1971, Bangladesh became an independent nation. During peace
discussions after the war, India and Pakistan named the cease-fire line in Jammu and Kashmir
the Line of Control and agreed to withhold prejudice towards the other side.
Indian and Pakistani Nuclear Development: In the mid 1960’s, both India and Pakistan began
to develop nuclear facilities. India had made significant progress towards nuclear capabilities by
the mid-1970s and in 1974 Pakistani officials decided to launch a nuclear weapons program. In
1983, the Chinese reportedly provided Pakistan with a nuclear bomb design which it was able to
produce by 1987. Indian researchers managed to produce the Prithvi missile that was able to
carry a nuclear warhead into Pakistan by 1988.
The Late 1990’s Nuclear Standoff: By 1997, India had moved nuclear missiles towards the
Pakistani border and serious nuclear tensions began. In 1998 there were a series of statements
from Indian and Pakistani officials that declared they were capable of defending their nations
with nuclear weapons and would not hesitate to defend themselves in this manner. In 1999 a
series of conflicts in the Kashmir region further escalated tensions in the region.
India and Pakistan in the 2000s: Two armed attacks on Indian government officials, killing a
total of 58 people in October of 2001 provoked a conventional military standoff along the
Pakistani-Indian border. The Indian government believed that the groups that killed these people
were based out of Pakistan and wanted to take military action against them. Following the
September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States the Pakistani government agreed to
co-operate with the U.S. in its campaign against Al-Qaeda and declared that terrorists operating
within Pakistani borders would not be tolerated. As a result of these statements, Indian officials
said that they would hold off on any attacks to see if Pakistan held up its words. Pakistan has had
an ongoing campaign against terrorism in its country and tensions between India and Pakistan
between 2002 and 2009 have steadily decreased.
North Korean Nuclear Program
The Korean War: On June 25th, 1950 North Korean (Democratic People’s Republic of Korean)
forces invaded South Korea (The Republic of Korea) with the promise of aid from the Soviet
Union. The United Nations condemned the North Koreans and declared their invasion an act of
aggression. Due to the absence of a Soviet representative in the Security Council, the Soviet
Union was unable to veto the U.N. decision to join the war on the side of South Korea. Troops
from 15 member nations were placed under U.S. command and U.N. Forces drove the North
Koreans back to the Chinese border but Chinese communist troops crossed the Yalu River and
drove the U.N. forces back to the 38th parallel and retook Seoul. The U.N. launched a second
counter offensive against the Chinese and North Koreans and eventually dug in at the 38th
parallel. Between June 13th, 1951 and July 26th, 1953 both sides launched offensives but only a
small amount of land was lost or gained by either side. On July 27th, 1953 a cease-fire was
signed by both sides that still stands today.
North Korean Nuclear Development: The D.P.R.K received its first nuclear reactor from the
Soviet Union in the mid 1960s. Between 1965 and the early 1980s North Korea focused its
nuclear research on the nuclear fuel cycle which included the refining of uranium. In 1985 the
United States declared that it had sufficient evidence to suggest that the North Koreans built a
secret nuclear reactor near the town on Yongbyon north of Pyongyang. Under heavy
international pressure, the North Koreans agreed to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty the
same year.
The North Korean Nuclear Weapons Program: In October of 2002 the North Korean
government admitted to having a clandestine program aimed at enriching uranium for nuclear
weapons. On October 9th, 2006, North Korea claimed to have conducted a nuclear test that was
confirmed by air samples and Richter scale readings. On May 25th, 2009, North Korea detonated
a second nuclear blast that is believed to be as powerful as the Hiroshima and Nagasaki blasts in
World War II. On July 4th, 2009, the North Koreans tested seven short and medium range
missiles into the ocean that could carry a nuclear warhead.
Tensions with North Korea: North Korean defiance to U.N. treaties and past agreements made
with the North Korean government has infuriated South Korea, Japan, and N.A.T.O. A series of
statements from North Korea concerning “merciless” use of their nuclear weapons and the lack
of co-operation from North Korean officials have caused near-by countries to prepare themselves
for North Korean aggression. The United States has stated it would fully support the South
Koreans militarily if North Korea invaded, but denied multiple times that it had any intention of
invading North Korea. The United States was fully prepared to shoot down any nuclear missiles
launched on July 4th, 2009 due to a belief that North Korea intended to shoot a ballistic missile
towards the U.S. west coast. Neither side has declared any intention of invading the other, but
many world leaders have declared that the situation in North Korea is a threat to global security.
Israel and Iran
The Israeli Nuclear Program: Israel began to develop its nuclear program in 1949 by doing a
geological survey of the Negev desert in search of uranium. In the 1950s the Israeli government
received a significant amount of assistance from France in establishing nuclear reactors. In 1968,
the CIA declared that Israel had the capability to build nuclear weapons. This report was
confirmed in 1975 by the United States government. There are no confirmed reports of Israel
having nuclear weapons, and Israeli officials do not claim to have nuclear weapons. It is clear
that Israel has the capability to produce nuclear weapons, but it is unknown if Israel has
produced and nuclear weapons.
The Iranian Nuclear Program: Iran’s nuclear program began in 1957 as part of President
Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace Program. Due to potential regional energy shortages, atomic
technology flowed into Iran from western countries in the 1960s and 1970s. The Islamic
Revolution in 1979 cut off western assistance in Iranian nuclear development, but in this period
and in the 1980s and 1990s Iran is known to have a large number of nuclear reactors, enrichment
sites, uranium mines, and conversion sights. A 2007 U.S. intelligence report confirmed that Iran
was developing nuclear weapons in 2002 and 2003, but the report shows that the Iranian
government most likely halted the program in 2003. Currently Iran has a large number of nuclear
facilities including nuclear enrichment facilities, but no nuclear weapons have been confirmed in
Iranian possession.
Iranian and Israeli Tensions: There have been a large number of wars between Arab states and
Israel since World War II and terrorist organizations operating out of countries neighboring
Israel have caused a significant amount of tension in the region. On June 7th, 1981, Israeli F-16
fighter jets bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor in Baghdad and Israeli officials have stated that they
will not tolerate any threats of nuclear weapons in nations who pose a threat to them. A statement
from President Ahmadinejad of Iran saying that Israel should be wiped off of the map has caused
Israel to prepare for Iranian nuclear aggressions. The United States has set up a ballistic missile
defense system in Israel designed to shoot down nuclear missiles in response to the threat of
Iranian aggression against Israel. Iran purchased a modern anti-aircraft system from the Russian
Federation to counter the threat of an Israeli air strike against its nuclear facilities.
Research Links
http://www.ultimax.com/resource/yadernii.html
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http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/cwr/82210.htm
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http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/index.html
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http://www.armscontrol.org/documents/salt
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http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A050
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