75 years after the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima & Nagasaki, we must continue reducing nuclear weapons threats

The author contends that the existence of specific nuclear capabilities leads to the creation of contingency plans that can easily be executed, potentially bypassing political restraint. Citing the short interval between the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the text argues that technical capabilities and the routine work of war planners shape the conditions for nuclear use more than high-level policy. The author advocates for moving away from nuclear weapon types that are perceived as 'usable' or prone to miscalculation.

• Technical capabilities and the practicalities of nuclear delivery systems and handling processes have a greater impact on the likelihood of nuclear weapon use than political rhetoric or high-level policy.
• The historical gap between the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki demonstrates that the use of one nuclear weapon can lead to the use of another as pre-existing plans are carried forward without political intervention.
• The author and colleagues are working to discourage the development of nuclear weapons that are viewed as acceptable for use in conflict, those that are difficult for an adversary to identify as nuclear, or those where use-of-force decisions might be delegated to front-line personnel.
• Even with systems requiring presidential decision-making for nuclear use, the options available to a president are heavily constrained and shaped by the existing range of technical capabilities and the plans presented to them.

APA

Parthemore, C. (2020). 75 years after the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima & Nagasaki, we must continue reducing nuclear weapons threats. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/08/06/75-years-after-the-nuclear-attacks-on-hiroshima-nagasaki-we-must-continue-reducing-nuclear-weapons-threats/

Chicago

Parthemore, Christine. 75 years after the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima & Nagasaki, we must continue reducing nuclear weapons threats. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2020. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/08/06/75-years-after-the-nuclear-attacks-on-hiroshima-nagasaki-we-must-continue-reducing-nuclear-weapons-threats/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Parthemore |first1=Christine |title=75 years after the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima & Nagasaki, we must continue reducing nuclear weapons threats |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=6 August 2020 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/08/06/75-years-after-the-nuclear-attacks-on-hiroshima-nagasaki-we-must-continue-reducing-nuclear-weapons-threats/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{parthemore2020years, author = {Parthemore, Christine}, title = {{75 years after the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima \& Nagasaki, we must continue reducing nuclear weapons threats}}, publisher = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/08/06/75-years-after-the-nuclear-attacks-on-hiroshima-nagasaki-we-must-continue-reducing-nuclear-weapons-threats/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }