Council on Foreign Relations | The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

Nuclear 5

1. What are the three core goals of the NPT?
A. Ban nuclear energy, mandate disarmament, create a global military force
B. Prevent spread of nuclear weapons, promote peaceful nuclear energy, pursue disarmament
C. Expand nuclear testing, regulate uranium prices, support nuclear alliances
D. Provide nuclear weapons to developing countries

B

2. Which five countries were recognized as “nuclear-weapon states” when the NPT opened for signature?
A. U.S., Russia, France, China, U.K.
B. U.S., Germany, China, Japan, U.K.
C. Russia, India, Israel, Pakistan, China
D. France, U.K., South Korea, China, U.S.

A

3. Which country joined the NPT and then later withdrew?
A. Israel
B. India
C. North Korea
D. Pakistan

C

4. What major global development pushed the U.S. and USSR to negotiate a draft NPT in 1967?
A. Oil crisis
B. Cold War nuclear arms race
C. Korean War
D. Ban on atmospheric tests

B

5. Which organization is responsible for nuclear inspections under the NPT?
A. WHO
B. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
C. UN Security Council
D. NATO

B

6. What is a major criticism of the NPT’s goal of peaceful nuclear energy?
A. It bans uranium mining
B. It lets any country freely enrich plutonium
C. Countries can use civilian tech to secretly build weapons
D. It stops countries from exporting nuclear material

C

7. Which of these countries once had nuclear weapons and later dismantled or transferred them?
A. France
B. South Africa
C. Israel
D. Pakistan

B

8. Which trio of countries never joined the NPT but possess nuclear weapons?
A. Iran, Japan, South Korea
B. India, Israel, Pakistan
C. Brazil, Argentina, Libya
D. Taiwan, Egypt, Turkey

B

9. What’s a major modern concern the NPT does not directly address?
A. Ballistic missile testing
B. Nuclear terrorism
C. Uranium mining
D. Fusion power research

B

10. Why do some non-nuclear states criticize the five official nuclear-weapon states?
A. They refuse to share nuclear energy tech
B. They haven’t fulfilled the disarmament promise
C. They all left the treaty
D. They built new nuclear organizations`

B

1. What event prompted the first global call for eliminating nuclear weapons?

The U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, followed by a 1946 UN resolution calling for complete nuclear disarmament.

2. Why was the NPT created during the Cold War?

Because the U.S. and USSR possessed most of the world’s nuclear weapons and saw each other as existential threats, fueling global fear of uncontrolled proliferation.

3. Why is the NPT’s disarmament goal controversial today?

The five original nuclear weapons states still hold large arsenals, and many non-nuclear countries argue this violates the spirit of the treaty.

4. What do the NPT "additional protocols" allow the IAEA to do?

Conduct surprise inspections at nuclear facilities to ensure civilian programs aren't secretly producing weapons-grade material.

5. Why is nuclear terrorism a weakness in the NPT system?

The treaty regulates states but doesn’t address the risk of nuclear materials falling into the hands of terrorist groups, especially in unstable nuclear-armed countries.

6. How do security guarantees help non-nuclear countries?

A nuclear-armed ally pledges to defend them, giving them nuclear protection without developing their own arsenal.

7. What are some examples of countries that decided not to pursue nuclear weapons?

Argentina, Brazil, and Ukraine, with Ukraine transferring inherited Soviet weapons to Russia.

8. Why do some countries create agreements outside the NPT?

To enforce stricter controls on nuclear materials or address issues (like uranium exports) that the NPT doesn’t fully cover.

1. T/F: The NPT has 191 member countries.

True.

2. T/F: India joined the NPT in 1970 and later withdrew.

False — India never joined.

3. T/F: Terrorist acquisition of nuclear material is explicitly covered by the NPT.

False.

4. T/F: The NPT encourages peaceful nuclear energy exchange between member states.

True.

5. T/F: South Africa is the only country to build nuclear weapons and later dismantle them voluntarily.

True.

6. T/F: The number of nuclear weapons has always steadily increased since the NPT.

False — total numbers dropped after the 1980s peak, though more countries now have nukes.

7. T/F: The NPT requires nuclear-armed states to eventually disarm.

True, though implementation remains disputed.

8. T/F: All countries under the NPT have accepted the IAEA’s extra inspection rules.

False.

9. T/F: Israel is a known nuclear-weapon state but is not party to the NPT.

True.

10. T/F: Newer nuclear agreements have fully replaced the NPT.

False — they supplement it, not replace it.