Nuclear Proliferation International History Project

08/06/2020

Michael D. Gordin and G. John Ikenberry, editors of The Age of Hiroshima, will be joined by Alex Wellerstein, Jessica Mathews, and Toshihiro Higuchi, to discuss the history of one of the 20th century's most significant events.

02/11/2020

01/10/2020

We are now accepting applications for the 2020 Nuclear History Boot Camp, scheduled to take place in Allumiere, Italy, from June 27-July 7. Deadline 1/31. Apply and help us spread the word about this wonderful opportunity!

Now accepting applications for the 2020 Nuclear History Boot Camp. Application deadline January 24th!

11/13/2017

Anyone conducting research on the Soviet Union, nuclear history, or the Cold War should visit Ukraine as soon as possible.

The archives of Ukraine are open and they are filled with former Soviet secrets.

10/23/2017

Why did Libya abandon its nuclear weapons program in 2003, and how did its leadership react to the outcome of the deal before the 2011 uprising?

What did Libyan officials think they would get from the 2003 deal? Why did they abandon the nuclear weapons program and what were their reactions to the outcome of the deal prior to the 2011 uprising?

10/02/2017

Only two weeks left to apply for our immersion course in nuclear history, held in Seoul, Korea in March 2018.

The Asia-Pacific Nuclear History Institute is an intensive, one-week immersion course in the international history of nuclear proliferation. It will be hosted in Seoul, Korea, from March 4-10, 2018. Applications are due October 15th.

09/28/2017

As the Russian air force stages drills along the North Korean border, look back to Russia's policy during the first North Korean Nuclear Crisis:

Sergey Radchenko draws on Soviet and Russian documents from 1991-1993 to argue that the first North Korean crisis began partly as a result of the policy choices of key regional players. Radchenko investigates Russia’s policy towards North Korea during this period, and how this policy may have inadve...

09/27/2017

Our new working paper with Yogesh Joshi showcases the variety and importance of archival sources available at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi:

A recent article in The National Interest (TNI) presented archival evidence to argue that India intended to develop a full-spectrum nuclear weapons capability as early as 1969. However, other archival sources related to Indian nuclear history raise doubts about the purported provenance and significa...

09/25/2017

Ariane Tabatabai and Annie Tracy Samuel explore the persistent problem of mistranslation and misrepresentation of the Iranian government's public statements:

To understand Iran’s behavior, look to the original sources.

09/20/2017

Pressure from Canada was ultimately far more influential than norms or US pressure in South Korea's decision to ratify the NPT.

Common knowledge claims US pressure forced its South Korean ally to ratify the NPT. Yet new evidence shows the decisive pressure came from a different country—Canada.

09/20/2017

Many authoritarian leaders want nuclear weapons, but few manage to acquire them. The Libyan and Iraqi case studies help explain why:

In her book, “Unclear Physics: Why Iraq and Libya Failed to Build Nuclear Weapons,” Målfrid Braut-Hegghammer says that while many authoritarian leaders want ...

09/14/2017

Why did Libya and Iraq fail to build nuclear weapons? If you missed our presentation yesterday, watch the video recap:

Many authoritarian leaders want nuclear weapons, but few manage to acquire them. In this seminar, Målfrid Braut-Hegghammer compares Iraq and Libya's failed nuclear weapons programs, arguing that state capacity played a crucial role in the trajectory and outcomes of both projects