应对想象的“威胁”:肯尼迪政府恢复核试验的决策分析

An Analysis of the Kennedy Administration?s Decision to Resume Nuclear Tests

20世纪50年代后期,美国政府提出自愿暂停核试验,并与苏联进行了多轮核禁试谈判。肯尼迪执政后,美国政府就是否恢复核试验展开了争论。在美国军方和原子能委员会看来,禁止核试验严重影响了美国核武器的发展,并危及美国的国家安全,因而极力要求尽快恢复核试验。尽管美国在核技术方面享有明显的优势,但出于政治上的考虑,肯尼迪政府不顾美国国内舆论和国际社会的强烈反对,做出了恢复地下和大气层核试验的决定,使得美苏之间的核军备竞赛进一步加剧。

In the late 1950 s, the US government proposed a voluntary moratorium on nuclear test and conducted several rounds of nuclear test ban negotiations with the Soviet Union. After Kennedy came to power, the US government began to debate whether to resume nuclear test. The US military and the Atomic Energy Commission argued that the nuclear ban had seriously affected the development of US nuclear weapons and endangered national security. Therefore, they strongly urged to resume nuclear tests as soon as possible. The Kennedy administration, based on political perspective, decided to resume underground and atmospheric nuclear tests despite strong opposition from both domestic public opinion and the international community. As a result, this decision further exacerbated the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union.