Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) - Why Nations Develop Weapons Of Mass Destruction

The dangers of modern WMD are significant enough to warrant increasing global concern, especially given the large number of countries that possess some sort of WMD capabilities. While it is difficult to posit a single explanation of various nations' rationales for developing WMD capabilities, in many instances the reasons include one or more of the following:

• National security/lack of conventional weapons capability
• Perception of an imminent threat
• Deterrence/balance of power
• Regional stability
• Leadership personalities
• Pride/prestige
• Politically powerful commercial defense industries
• Technological imperatives (the race to acquire the best technological capabilities in order to maintain positions of leadership)

The enormous and widespread damage and costs of WMD, especially nuclear weapons, have discouraged states from using them during conflict. Instead, most stockpile them primarily for purposes of deterrence. Most countries that possess nuclear weapons have a "no first strike" policy that calls on WMD for defensive purposes only (i.e., they will not launch nuclear weapons at another country first but only in reaction to an attack against their own nation). Many countries and international organizations have spearheaded arms control plans because they recognize the potential disastrous effects of WMD proliferation, and they cite such reasons to control them as fear of retaliation, moral considerations, and difficulty controlling their effects. These initiatives designed to curb WMD buildup generally take the form of treaties and agreements, although compliance with, and adherence to, such treaties has varied.