ABSTRACT
In the 1940s and 1950s, nuclear export controls were devised and implemented on national bases, until 1968, when the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was negotiated. There are a variety of reasons why states might seek to acquire nuclear weapons. From the 1940s to the 1960s, five states developed nuclear weapons. These states, China, France, the UK, Russia and the USA are now legally recognized as the nuclear weapon states. India claims that it has developed weapons in response to China's nuclear capability and the conflict between China and India in 1962. South Africa also developed a nuclear weapons programme despite export controls and a hostile international environment, as did India, Pakistan and perhaps Israel, Argentina, Brazil and North Korea. Export controls deal only with the supply side of the nuclear proliferation equation. They are available in their application and effect, but can help reduce the flow of sensitive technology to potential proliferators.
