B Reactor History Room: Nuclear Arms Treaties

The Nuclear Arms Treaties exhibit panel in the History Room.

See exhibit panel for specific image credits.

Main Text
Under a label at the top left listing the years 1968 to 2010, text reads: “After the Cuban Missile Crisis, world leaders and the public became increasingly concerned with the large nuclear arsenals of the U.S. and the Soviet Union.”

Text at the bottom right continues: “Nuclear Arms Treaties - ‘It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization,’ President Kennedy voiced shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis. On June 10, 1963, Kennedy announced a new round of arms negotiations with the Soviet Union. This signaled a turning point in the Cold War, from building military arsenals to seeking diplomatic solutions. In 1968, the U.S., Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty limiting the spread of nuclear technology. This was among the first of many nuclear arms treaties signed over 54 years that targeted the spread of nuclear technology. One of the more recent treaties, New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), is a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Russia signed in 2010.”

Exhibit Panel Description
The poster displays a color reproduction of the Time magazine cover from August 23, 1963, with illustrations of a dozen or so missiles of varying shapes and designs.

Visit This Exhibit Panel
In-person visitation of the B Reactor is only authorized on guided tours offered by the Department of Energy.