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1 Anti-nuclear activism after 1945
Activism against nuclear weapons began soon after the end of the Second World War, as details became more widely known of the devastation caused by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Further impetus was provided by nuclear testing in the Pacific region. In 1954, an American nuclear test at Bikini Atoll caused the crew of a Japanese fishing boat, the Lucky Dragon, to suffer radiation poisoning, resulting in the death of one sailor. This brought attention to the dangers posed by nuclear weapons testing, as nuclear fallout affected those living in the regions destined to be test grounds, with indigenous communities being particularly affected. This led to what is sometimes known as the first wave of anti-nuclear activism, as citizens in the Pacific and around the world mobilised against nuclear weapons testing. This included public demonstrations, such as peace marches, as well as coordinated letter-writing and lobbying campaigns to influence policymakers.
The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, in which the United States and the Soviet Union came close to triggering a nuclear war, further raised public awareness of the dangers of nuclear weapons. In 1963, this led to the signing of the Partial Test Ban Treaty by the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, which banned testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, under water, or in outer space. In much of the world, this arms control breakthrough, followed by a period of increased dialogue and cooperation between the opposing sides in the Cold War known as détente, resulted in a reduction in anti-nuclear activity by the late 1960s.
