The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: Serhii Plokhii on the History of the Nuclear Arms Race
Oct 15, 2025
Serhii Plokhii, a Harvard history professor and an expert on the Cold War and Ukraine, delves into the intricacies of nuclear proliferation in this enlightening discussion. He explores how fear and prestige drive nations to pursue nuclear arms, sharing insights on the devastating bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Plokhii also examines Ukraine's decision to relinquish its nuclear arsenal, the implications of the Budapest Memorandum, and warns of the dangers posed by Russian aggression to global non-proliferation efforts.
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Fear As The Core Driver
- Fear drove many states' decisions to pursue or retain nuclear weapons as a response to perceived threats and inequality.
- Serhii Plokhy frames proliferation as a psychology of fear layered on strategic calculations and prestige.
Prestige Mixed With Security
- Prestige and great-power status also motivated UK and France to develop nuclear arsenals alongside security concerns.
- Plokhy argues these cases mix pride with fear, making motivation a cocktail rather than a single cause.
Refugee Scientists Shaped Decisions
- Scientists who fled fascism helped kickstart the Manhattan Project and feared Nazi acquisition of the bomb.
- Their personal experiences shaped U.S. urgency and later debates about whether to use the weapon in Japan.
