ation of nuclear weapons. This stance were especially relevant to the two major nuclear weapons states - the United States and the Soviet Union. Similarly, in the era of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, none of the nuclear-armed states was willing to completely eliminate nuclear weapons. Rather, their primary objective was to, through the Treaty, to stem the spread of nuclear weapons to states that had not yet acquired nuclear weapons (English, 2005).
The long-presumed primary reason that nuclear-armed states desire to retain nuclear weapons is a desire to preserve their national security positions. Similarly, the long-presumed reason that non nuclear-armed states seek to acquire nuclear weapons is a desire to enhance their own national security positions. These presumptions, however, may or may not be completely valid (Middeke, 2000).
Consider the statement, "nuclear weapons, like other weapons, are more than tools of national security; they also are political objects of considerable importance". This writer agrees with this statement. In turn, the thesis statement of this essay is that desires to preserve or enhance international political leadership, desires to be accorded higher levels of deference and consideration than otherwise would be the case, desires to coerce other states to act is specific ways in situations wherein the national security of the coercing state is not at risk, and desires to preserve domestic political power are values that states apply to nuclear weapons that cause such weapons to become objects of considerable political importance, and, thus, act as motivators for states to retain or acquire nuclear weapons. These motivators are as strong as are national security concerns as motivators for the retention or the acquisition of nuclear weapons. Further, the transcendence of nuclear weapons from simply tools for the preservation of national security to a dual role th...