Episode 4: Fewer Nukes, More Danger

The Cold War’s end brought massive arms reductions, just as more countries were developing nuclear weapons.

Nightmares of mushroom clouds and fears of mutually assured destruction plagued many during the Cold War. But by the early 1990s, both the United States and Russia promised a world with fewer nuclear weapons. Together, they agreed to dismantle 80% of their strategic nuclear warheads. Meanwhile, other countries such as North Korea and Pakistan saw value in nukes amid a less balanced world, and raced to acquire them.

In this episode of None Of The Above’s ‘90s Rewind miniseries, the Institute for Global Affairs’ Mark Hannah explores the decade’s mixed track record on nuclear arms control and nonproliferation. He is joined by Emma Belcher, president of Ploughshares Fund. Historian Susan Colbourn and retired ambassador Thomas Pickering return to provide insights and commentary.

Emma Belcher is the president of Ploughshares Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing the spread and use of nuclear weapons. Previously, she served as a national security and international affairs advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister in her native Australia, and was a public affairs officer at the Australian embassy in Washington, DC.

Susan Colbourn is a historian and associate research professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. She is also the associate director of Duke’s Program in American Grand Strategy. She focuses on European security, the politics of nuclear weapons, and the history of NATO.

Thomas Pickering is a retired diplomat who served as US ambassador to the United Nations, India, and Russia throughout the 1990s. He also served as Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs under President Clinton from 1997 to 2000. He achieved the rank of Career Ambassador, the highest in American diplomacy.

More Episodes