Nuclear Reactions

Nuclear Reactions analyzes how nuclear weapons change the calculations states make in their foreign policies, why they do so, and why nuclear weapons have such different effects on the foreign policies of different countries.

Mark S. Bell argues that nuclear weapons are useful for more than deterrence. They are leveraged to pursue a wide range of goals in international politics, and the nations that acquire them significantly change their foreign policies as a result. Closely examining how these effects vary and what those variations have meant in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, Bell shows that countries are not generically "emboldened"—they change their foreign policies in different ways based on their priorities. This has huge policy implications: What would Iran do if it were to acquire nuclear weapons? Would Japanese policy toward the United States change if Japan were to obtain nuclear weapons? And what does the looming threat of nuclear weapons mean for the future of foreign policy? Far from being a relic of the Cold War, Bell argues, nuclear weapons are as important in international politics today as they ever were.

Thanks to generous funding from the University of Minnesota and its participation in TOME, the ebook editions of this book are available as Open Access volumes, available from Cornell Open (cornellpress.cornell.edu/cornell-open) and other repositories.

Mark Bell is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. Follow him on X @mark_s_bell.

Bell (Univ. of Minnesota) provides a compelling theory to account for state behavior after the adoption of nuclear weapons. That said, this book is an important contribution and deserves to be at the center of further discussion by both scholars and policy makers.

In Nuclear Reactions, Mark S. Bell makes a compelling contribution to this debate by advancing a novel theory of how foreign policy is influenced by the possession of nuclear weapons, testing it with well researched case studies. Bell's work immediately stands apart by accounting for historical variation from the outset. ones. The book is thorough, with Bell presenting convincing and highly detailed evidence in his case studies to support his theory while acknowledging potential pitfalls.

Etel Solingen, University of California, Irvine, author of Comparative Regionalism:

Mark Bell argues that the United States, Britain, and South Africa placed nuclear weapons in service of their preexisting strategic goals. The book also makes clear that nuclear weapons are no silver bullets that allow states free rein in international politics. The argument joins a highly contested field debating the actual consequences of nuclear weapons' acquisition.

Scott D. Sagan, Stanford University, author of The Limits of Safety:

Mark S. Bell broadens our imagination and deepens our understanding about the effects of acquiring nuclear weapons. His case studies compellingly demonstrate the various kinds of behavior (and misbehavior) that different nuclear states have experienced once they got the bomb.

Charles L. Glaser, George Washington University, author of Rational Theory of International Politics:

Nuclear Reactions significantly advances our understanding of nuclear weapons by showing that they enable states to pursue a wide range of behaviors, which are largely explained by their geopolitical positions. Mark S. Bell's important book carefully analyzes key historical cases that provide strong support for his theory of nuclear opportunism.

Hal Brands, author of American Grand Strategy in the Age of Trump:

Mark S. Bell is a rising star in the field of international security. His first book offers a novel theory of how nuclear weapons impact foreign policy, along with richly detailed historical case studies. It is an important contribution to the study of nuclear proliferation and nuclear strategy.