The first atomic weapons were produced and used by the United States. This seemed, apparently, to provide the United States and its allies with the upper hand in the World War II. However, it became the main source of development and the spread of nuclear weapons by the others and brought about nuclear arms race. The production, stockpiling, and qualitative improvement of nuclear armaments in a given country have served as the best justification for the others to develop their own arsenals, a trend that has sustained over the past forty years in violation of the commitments set forth in the NPT.
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