How did the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki influence arms-control efforts?

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 fundamentally transformed international relations by ushering in the atomic age and making disarmament an urgent global priority. The immense destructive power of these weapons shifted the rationale for arms control from economic expediency to the existential necessity of preventing the annihilation of civilization.12

Initial efforts to manage this new reality were marked by deep mistrust. In 1946, the United States proposed the Baruch Plan, which sought international control of atomic energy through a United Nations authority, while the Soviet Union demanded the immediate prohibition of all nuclear weapons. These negotiations failed due to disagreements over inspection mechanisms and the use of the Security Council veto.3

As the Cold War intensified and both superpowers developed large nuclear arsenals, the focus shifted toward arms control strategies based on mutual deterrence. This led to landmark agreements such as the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (1963) and the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968), which aimed to limit testing, prevent the spread of technology, and eventually reduce stockpiles.14