The Rise and Fall of the South African Bomb

Abstract

Peter Liberman of Queens College, City University of New York, examines South Africa's decision to build nuclear weapons in the 1970s and 1980s and then the unprecedented decision to dismantle them in 1990–91. Liberman considers the political history of South Africa during this period and the influence of three sources of nuclear weapons policy relevant to this case: security incentives, organizational politics, and international pressure.