Description
Book SynopsisNuclear Reactions analyzes how nuclear weapons change the calculations states make in their foreign policies, why they do so, and why nuclear weapons have such different effects on the foreign policies of different countries. Mark S. Bell argues that nuclear weapons are useful for more than deterrence. They are leveraged to pursue a wide range of goals in international politics, and the nations that acquire them significantly change their foreign policies as a result. Closely examining how these effects vary and what those variations have meant in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, Bell shows that countries are not generically "emboldened"they change their foreign policies in different ways based on their priorities. This has huge policy implications: What would Iran do if it were to acquire nuclear weapons? Would Japanese policy toward the United States change if Japan were to obtain nuclear weapons? And what does the looming threat of nuclear weapons mean for the future of foreign policy? Far from being a relic of the Cold War, Bell argues, nuclear weapons are as important in international politics today as they ever were. Thanks to generous funding from the University of Minnesota and its participation in TOME, the ebook editions of this book are available as Open Access volumes, available from Cornell Open (cornellpress.cornell.edu/cornell-open) and other repositories.
Trade ReviewIn Nuclear Reactions, Mark S. Bell makes a compelling contribution to this debate by advancing a novel theory of how foreign policy is influenced by the possession of nuclear weapons, testing it with well researched case studies. Bell's work immediately stands apart by accounting for historical variation from the outset. ones. The book is thorough, with Bell presenting convincing and highly detailed evidence in his case studies to support his theory while acknowledging potential pitfalls.
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Bell (Univ. of Minnesota) provides a compelling theory to account for state behavior after the adoption of nuclear weapons. That said, this book is an important contribution and deserves to be at the center of further discussion by both scholars and policy makers.
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Table of ContentsIntroduction: How Do New Nuclear States Behave?
1. Nuclear Opportunism: How States Use Nuclear Weapons in International Politics
2. Independence and Status: The British Nuclear Experience
3. Apartheid and Aggression: South Africa, Angola, and the Bomb
4. The Foundations of a New World Order: The United States and the Start of the Nuclear Era
5. Past and Future Proliferators
Conclusion: Nuclear Revolution or Nuclear Revolutions?
