limited test ban treaty

LIMITED TEST BAN TREATY

Peter Gray, Lexi Herlt, Connie Marshall

Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963) • Background: • Trilateral agreement negotiated by the US,

USSR, and UK • Prohibiting tests of nuclear devices in the

atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater. • Allows nuclear testing to continue

underground• The first of many following treaties also

limiting nuclear weapons: Outer space Treaty, Treaty of Tlatelolco, Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty

EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR WEAPON TESTING

Historic Events (1962 – 1963)

NUCLEAR TESTING ‘Operation Sunbeam’

– July 14, 1962– ‘Small Boy’ and other

nuclear bombs are tested at the USA’s Nevada Test Site

– Part of Operation Sunbeam• Four small tactical nuclear

warhead tests– One of the smaller Nuclear

Weapon testing in the USA

Small Nuclear Warhead

USA Nevada Testing Site

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS– October 14, 1962– U2 Spy Plane over Cuba,

observed Soviet missile bases being built in Cuba• In range for Washington and with

the number of missiles present, capable of destroying the USA

– Built tension between USA and Soviet Union

– Event was nicknamed: ‘The Days the World Held its Breath’

Photo taken from U2 Spy Plane over Cuba showing the missile bases in construction

MOSCOW – WASHINGTON HOTLINE– June 20, 1963– Direct communication

between the White House in Washington and the Kremlin in Moscow

– Implemented in order to prevent tensions from rising with the miscommunication between the two Super Powers

US Communication Centre

THE RESPONSE TO THE LEGISLATION

LEVEL OF PARTICIPANTS COMPLIANCE AND

IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES • Eight years • Differences in opinion about arms control- unsteady relationship between East and West• The Soviet Union didn’t want a testing ban with an agreed, written method as to how nuclear arms would be limited• What measures and the method by which the nuclear ban could be effectively carried out. • For example: how would you detect underground tests? • US and UK: wanted intrusive inspection • Soviet Union- surveillance should only be operated from outside a nation’s boundaries. • Could set a bad example for future nuclear arms control treaties • Final agreement did not ban underground testing- compromise

RESPONSE TO THE LEGISLATION

• Opposition from very right- wing, American, Republicans and pro-testing

• However, the Senate ratified the treaty on the 24 September 1963

• In the following years: 108 countries signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty (except for France and China- treaty was example of “superpower hypocrisy” – China and France held atmospheric tests)

• Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: 1990s• (later broken by India and Pakistan)• The United States, Russia, United Kingdom,

France, and China signed in 1996 • Technology had improved • BUT! Senate Republicans blocked the

treaty during the 1990s • Neither China nor the United States have

ratified the CTBT.

LEGAL LOOPHOLES• The parties to the Treaty undertake "not to carry out any nuclear weapon test

explosion, or any other nuclear explosion," in the atmosphere, under water, or in outer space, or in any other environment if the explosion would cause radioactive debris to be present outside the borders of the state conducting the explosion

• This did not limited testing underground • Article in the treaty that said that the countries would aim for a treaty- but the

law did not recognize this

RATIFICATION OF THE LIMITED TEST BAN TREATY