Exporting the Bomb

In a vitally important book for anyone interested in nuclear proliferation, defense strategy, or international security, Matthew Kroenig points out that nearly every country with a nuclear weapons arsenal received substantial help at some point from a...

Matthew Kroenig is Assistant Professor of Government at Georgetown University.

Using both statistical analysis and in-depth examinations of particular cases, Matthew Kroenig provides a major extension of the realist theory of nuclear proliferation. According to Kroenig, states do not provide sensitive nuclear technology to others because they need the money—they provide it to further their strategic position and to take advantage of situations where proliferation would not affect their power very much. Kroenig's book is essential reading for all those seeking to understand how and why nuclear weapons spread and will pose an important challenge to those of us who believe that realist perspectives tell only part of that story.

Nina Tannenwald, Brown University:

Tackling an urgent but too often neglected real-world puzzle—why states help other states acquire nuclear weapons—Matthew Kroenig develops one of the most original and illuminating arguments about proliferation and deterrence in more than a decade. His startling claim that states provide nuclear weapons assistance primarily for power-politics reasons directly challenges the conventional economics explanations. Drawing expertly on both quantitative and qualitative evidence, the book brims with surprising—and sobering—findings. This masterful study is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the politics of nuclear proliferation today.

Harold Smith, University of California, Berkeley, and former Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs):

Matthew Kroenig provides new and provocative insights into why some nations export sensitive nuclear technology and some do not. His book is essential reading for those who wish to understand the new world of nuclear weapons that is now upon us.

Erik Gartzke, University of California, San Diego:

Matthew Kroenig has changed the way I think about nuclear proliferation. Exporting the Bomb demonstrates that proliferation is a function of foreign policy, as well as technology and security. Nuclear aspirants that receive help from nuclear-capable nations through the exchange of sensitive nuclear technology are much more likely to succeed in proliferating, something that has not received the attention it deserves until the publication of Matthew Kroenig's book.

Scott D. Sagan, Stanford University:

Exporting the Bomb is an important contribution to the literature on nuclear proliferation. Matthew Kroenig demonstrates in a compelling fashion that states rarely spread sensitive nuclear technology simply for economic benefit; nor do governments sell such technology in a fit of strategic absentmindedness. Instead, governments have exported sensitive technologies to enemies of their enemies. Exporting weapons-related technology is a continuation of global politics by other means.