Disarming Doomsday: autocracy & the third nuclear age

The world is entering a third nuclear age, defined not by superpower bipolarity or post Cold War optimism, but by rising autocracies, regional rivalries, and eroding arms-control norms.

From Russia’s coercive nuclear signalling to North Korea’s rapid arsenal expansion and China’s strategic modernisation, authoritarian regimes are reshaping deterrence dynamics.

This talk will explore how centralised decision-making, weakened transparency and nationalist ideology increase miscalculation risks in an already fragile global order. It also examines the breakdown of key agreements such as the New START and the implications for crisis stability. Finally, it outlines pragmatic pathways to reduce nuclear danger – revitalized arms control, multilateral risk-reduction mechanisms, and renewed diplomatic engagement – before today’s volatile landscape turns deterrence failure into catastrophe.

Dr Becky Alexis-Martin FRGS CIEH FHEA, University of Bradford