What Are Nuclear Weapons For?

by Patricia Shamai

Overview

Peacekeepers, effective deterrent or potential cause of ultimate disaster? Understanding what nuclear weapons are for has never been more essential.

Dr Patricia Shamai traces the history of nuclear weapons from their first use in 1945 when they brought the Second World War to an end, through the Cold War when they gave rise to peace movements and disarmament efforts to the ominous nuclear landscape today.

Shamai shows how nuclear weapons have, to date, been a deterrent by raising the stakes of war and thereby reducing the chances of certain kinds of conflict. But, she warns, this is not a permanent situation – its continuation depends on the world’s reaction to this threat and ongoing vigilance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781529234183
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	11/25/2025
Series:	What Is It For?
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160

About the Author

Patricia Shamai is Principal Lecturer in international relations and Associate Head (Students) at the University of Portsmouth. Her research addresses the norms associated with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. She has previously worked with the UK Ministry of Defence, NATO specialists and US government experts to support dialogue and collaboration to address deterrence in a twenty-first-century context.

Table of Contents

Preface

1. Introduction

2. Origins

3.The Cold War

4. Taboos and Stigmas

5. Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Popular Protest

6. After the Cold War

7. 9/11 and the Nuclear Threat

8. Conclusion

Notes

Further Reading