Macquarie University

Nuclear Weapons - PICX905

Weapons of Mass Destruction have fundamentally transformed how states find themselves in and manage international disputes. The quick and total destruction that nuclear weapons offer has fundamentally changed the international system and the prospects for regional peace and stability since 1945. This unit will focus on nuclear weapons and address their impact on the Cold War and then China, India and Pakistan and Iran and North Korea, why states develop nuclear weapons and potential future nuclear powers in East Asia. The unit will also address nuclear non-proliferation initiatives and Australian nuclear issues. The unit addresses the fundamental questions regarding how nuclear weapons have influenced international politics, whether their impact in twenty-first century Asia is different to the Cold War, and policy trade-offs and challenges for Australia and its allies.

All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au