DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL





 

Arguments for Armament


Weapons are not the root of violent relations, but rather one of its effects. An examination of the armaments' history


Race shows that throughout the past 200 years, this type of international competition frequently has a peaceful conclusion. recognising the supremacy of one side's military over the other.

Because weaker nations tempt invaders, the wisest course of action is to get ready for conflict. to bring about peace.


Disarmament-related arguments


Arms and arms races may be expensive and sometimes bloody. Arms control can lessen the burden of defence and enabling financial investment for more fruitful uses


Without adequate funding, unregulated arms development might result in both internal and external repression. aggression.


Controls on Arms


A mutually agreed-upon set of armaments levels between two parties is an arms reduction, which implies partial disarmament.


nnation-state groups. A variety of international agreements are involved in arms control to lessen the effects of possible conflicts or to stop their unintentional escalation (information sharing to prevent misunderstanding or prohibiting the purchase of specific types of weapons).


The Disarmament History




Disarmament initiatives can be traced back to the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, which prohibited the erection of fortifications is necessary. The Russian Czar made a suggestion to the British government in 1816 that would However, this call for a reduction in weapons was not widely embraced.


Similar requests for European disarmament were made by France in 1863 and 1869, but they were both rebuffed. In 1898,


The Tsar of Russia suggested that European countries meet at the Hague to discuss disarmament.


which was favourably accepted and produced the First Hague Peace Conference, which had 28 countries present.


A similar meeting was convened at the Hague in 1907 for the same reason.


Disarmament after WWI


World leaders were forced to seriously consider disarmament as a result of the destruction wrought by World War I.


In one of his famous fourteen points, Woodrow Wilson argued that armament should be cut to "the lowest possible level."

point related to domestic security.


Additionally, the Treaty of Versailles (1919) acknowledged that "the maintenance of peace involves the decrease of tensions between


armed forces at home. The League of Nations was tasked specifically with securing a consensus on Disarmament and the League's treaty stipulated that only such nations would be eligible for membership. who consented to the suggested arrangement.


The League formed a permanent advisory panel, however it is made up of military Personnel-wise, it didn't make much headway towards disarmament.

In 1920, the Temporary Mixed Commission was established by the League Council.


had a set four-year term and mostly made up of civilians. this short-term appointment of the


League was tasked with determining the restrictions on land and naval troops for individual nations based on their In order to address the commission's recommendations for mandatory arbitration and foreign assistance for aggressors' victims.

Sadly, the League of Women Voters did not embrace the commission's recommendations.


Nations. Another preparatory commision for disarmament was established by the League in 1926, and it produced a draught of a treaty that was discussed by 61 governments at the League summit in Geneva in 1932.


 

Disarmament after WWII


WWII's destruction sparked calls for disarmament once more. The UN charter laid out a lot of


a focus on the necessity of disarmament. A Military Staff Committee was created by the UN to help The Security Council should control weaponry and look at disarmament options.


Disarmament efforts by the UN


The UN established the Atomic Energy Commission, which is made up of the five members of the Security Council and Canada.


The purpose of the Commission was to investigate avenues for a peaceful transfer of nuclear technology, to determine safeguards through inspections for complying states to reduce the risk of violations and ultimately to function in the direction of nuclear weapons abolition.


Although the two nations agreed to work together, their opposing views (the US insisting that control should the USSR saying that disarmament takes precedence over it) on the Commission's objectives resulted in its ineffectiveness.


Additionally, the UN General Assembly created a Commission on Conventional Armaments, which also


eventually saw the USSR withdraw from both Commissions due to China's Cold War disagreements. they have artwork on them.


Atoms for Peace Plan


US President Dwight D. Eisenhower suggested creating a pool of donated fissionable materials in 1953. by notifying the Atomic Energy Commission that they are nuclear states, which could be made available to other nations only for nonviolent causes.


The Soviets opposed this concept, claiming that first a nuclear weapons ban agreement was required. before transferring nuclear knowledge.


Other Disarmament Efforts


Many weapons control and disarmament initiatives were carried out on a bilateral basis between the two.


superpowers, the largest post-World War II weaponry proliferation (NTBT, NPT, SALT I and


II).


The 1985 New Dehli six-nation summit shows the growing concern among developing nations.


concerning the arms race, especially nuclear weapons (ironically, India is now a proclaimed nuclear


state).


CTBT


The NTP review conference, which was held in Geneva in 1995, suggested that the NTP. Israel, Pakistan, and India came under fire for refusing to sign the NPT and its successor, the CTBT. which even outlaws the tests necessary for the development of nuclear weapons.

After completing its final nuclear test in the South Pacific, even France signed the CTBT. Pakistan and India


continue to be wary and assert that the advanced nuclear powers can maintain the security and modernisation of their arsenals by tests sparked in a lab environment.