The Anti-Nuclear Weapons Movement

The anti-nuclear weapons movement during the Cold War encompassed a wide variety of intellectuals, grassroots membership, activists, political lobbyists and diverse organizations joined for the causes of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament. First activating after the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII, it gained traction after the radiation fallout from test explosions, including, especially, from hydrogen bombs, raised awareness of these issues in global public opinion. The first wave of activism ended with the signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963. The second wave arose with the renewed East–West tensions of the 1980s and was focused especially on the issue of planned missile deployments in Europe. Having successfully pressured governments to negotiate for arms control, some researchers even think the movement had a hand in ending the Cold War. After the Cold War, the movement has never again reached the same popularity in terms of its membership – although a number of NGOs continue to press for arms control and nuclear disarmament.