Acts of war have been a feature of civilization since the dawn of humanity. With the advancement of technology we are forced to deal with new and more dangerous constructs used in conflicts. Over the past sixty years the greatest of these threats has come in the form of nuclear weapons. After being hypothesized by numerous scientists at the beginning of the 20th century, in 1939 a team of German chemists had succeeded in the feat of nuclear fission, the process of splitting atoms to release energy (Levin 9). This scientific discovery was used, in particular, in 1945 by the United States of America against Japan when two bombs were exploded. Over 100,000 people died as a result, and many more died from the effects of radiation (Levin 9). There are currently nine states that possess nuclear weapons, and the United Nations reports that more than thirty other states have the capacity to produce them (Mattern 563). This paper will address the following question: Is nuclear proliferation a serious threat to international security? It will then proceed to argue that nuclear proliferation, the spread of nuclear weapons, constitutes a threat to international security due to the inherent danger of the weapon, the potential instability of rogue states and non-state actors, and the negative effects of proliferation on the international. cooperation. After these three topics have been stated and analyzed, two counterpoints will be briefly discussed and discussed. The paper will then conclude by setting out the implications of the conclusion. The topic of nuclear proliferation carries incredibly important implications for humanity as a whole. As will be demonstrated in the next few pages, the danger of nuclear weapons technology cannot be hidden… in the middle of paper… eh? The Sino-Soviet Crisis of 1969." Political Science Quarterly 118.1 (2003): 53-79. ProQuest. Web. February 27, 2012. Levin, Carl, and Jack Reed. "Toward a More Responsible Nuclear Nonproliferation Strategy." armaments Today 34.1 (2004): 9-14. Web, 27 February 2012. “Loose Peace Review 19.4 (2007): 563-569 Web. 2 March 2012. Park, Jihye Secret Nuclear Tests: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists." Web. March 1, 2012. .Price, Richard. "Nuclear Weapons Don't Kill People, Thieves Do".. 2012.