Leiden University Student Repository

Roelofs, Max (2020)

NEW NUCLEAR CONTESTANTS: Comparing the Soviet Union to Iran and North Korea as Nuclear Adversaries of the United States

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

“The post-war world has witnessed the commence of several nuclear states. During the Cold War, the United States faced the Soviet Union in a battle of becoming the worlds’ superpower through nuclear means. Today, the United States has new potential nuclear opponents, of which Iran and North Korea pose the most danger to the U.S. To comprehend these threats and the U.S.’s response to those, this thesis examines the difference between the United States’ past nuclear opponent, The Soviet Union, and its current nuclear adversaries, Iran and North Korea. Through an in-depth case study of the former Soviet Union, Iran and North Korea as nuclear adversaries of the United States, this comparative study provides an analysis of the United States’ nuclear opponents and the U.S. response to them. It analyzes the past and current nuclear adversaries based on their regime type, incentives to become a nuclear power and their nuclear relationship to the United States. It concludes that Both Iran...Show more“The post-war world has witnessed the commence of several nuclear states. During the Cold War, the United States faced the Soviet Union in a battle of becoming the worlds’ superpower through nuclear means. Today, the United States has new potential nuclear opponents, of which Iran and North Korea pose the most danger to the U.S. To comprehend these threats and the U.S.’s response to those, this thesis examines the difference between the United States’ past nuclear opponent, The Soviet Union, and its current nuclear adversaries, Iran and North Korea. Through an in-depth case study of the former Soviet Union, Iran and North Korea as nuclear adversaries of the United States, this comparative study provides an analysis of the United States’ nuclear opponents and the U.S. response to them. It analyzes the past and current nuclear adversaries based on their regime type, incentives to become a nuclear power and their nuclear relationship to the United States. It concludes that Both Iran and North Korea share different resemblances with the former Soviet Union.Show less

nuclear weapons

the Soviet Union

Iran

North Korea

United States

international politics

Author

Roelofs, Max

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

North America

Supervisors

Heere, Cees

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en