Unilateral disarmament
Encyclopedia
Unilateral disarmament is a policy
option, to renounce weapons without seeking equivalent concessions from one's actual or potential rivals. It was most commonly used in the twentieth century in the context of unilateral nuclear disarmament, a recurrent objective of peace movement
s in countries such as the USA and the UK.
Nations do not often choose to dismantle their entire military capability. Unilateral disarmaments are usually sought in one technical competency, such as Weapons of Mass Destruction
. Non-violent political movements from that of Mahatma Gandhi
to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
have recommended unilateral disarmament as a simple step toward world peace.
, which unilaterally disarmed itself in 1948, writing its non-military status into its constitution in 1949. In a public ceremony to mark the occasion, the existing Commander-in-Chief handed the keys to Army HQ to the Minister of Education, for use as a school. Since that time, Costa Rica has been briefly invaded once, by Nicaragua
, but has maintained its territorial integrity through reliance on diplomacy within international structures such as the OAS
. Costa Rica's peace dividend
has been reinvested well, as evidenced by infant mortality rates, life expectancy and literacy rates that are on a par or better than those of most developed countries.
's unilateral discontinuation of biological weapons development in 1972 is often characterized a 'unilateral disarmament'.
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
option, to renounce weapons without seeking equivalent concessions from one's actual or potential rivals. It was most commonly used in the twentieth century in the context of unilateral nuclear disarmament, a recurrent objective of peace movement
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
s in countries such as the USA and the UK.
Nations do not often choose to dismantle their entire military capability. Unilateral disarmaments are usually sought in one technical competency, such as Weapons of Mass Destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
. Non-violent political movements from that of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
have recommended unilateral disarmament as a simple step toward world peace.
Costa Rica
The only recent candidate for having performed an act of complete disarmament is Costa RicaCosta Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, which unilaterally disarmed itself in 1948, writing its non-military status into its constitution in 1949. In a public ceremony to mark the occasion, the existing Commander-in-Chief handed the keys to Army HQ to the Minister of Education, for use as a school. Since that time, Costa Rica has been briefly invaded once, by Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, but has maintained its territorial integrity through reliance on diplomacy within international structures such as the OAS
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
. Costa Rica's peace dividend
Peace dividend
The peace dividend is a political slogan popularized by US President George H.W. Bush and UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the early 1990s, purporting to describe the economic benefit of a decrease in defense spending. It is used primarily in discussions relating to the guns versus butter...
has been reinvested well, as evidenced by infant mortality rates, life expectancy and literacy rates that are on a par or better than those of most developed countries.
USA
President Richard NixonRichard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's unilateral discontinuation of biological weapons development in 1972 is often characterized a 'unilateral disarmament'.