Arms control Arms control is a term for restrictions upon the development , production , stockpiling , proliferation , and usage of weapon s , especially weapons of mass destruction . Arms control is typically exercised through the use of diplomacy which seeks to impose such limitations upon consenting participants through international treaties and agreements , although it may also comprise efforts by a nation or group of nations to enforce limitations upon a non - consenting country . On a national or community level , " arms control " can amount to programs to control the access of private citizens to weapons . This is often referred to as " gun politics " , as firearms are the primary focus of such efforts in most places . Enactment . Arms control treaties and agreements are often seen as a way to avoid costly arms race s which could prove counter - productive to national aims and future peace . Some are used as ways to stop the spread of certain military technologies ( such as nuclear weaponry or missile technology ) in return for assurances to potential developers that they will not be victims of those technologies . Additionally , some arms control agreements are entered to limit the damage done by warfare , especially to civilians and the environment , which is seen as bad for all participants regardless of who wins a war . While arms control treaties are seen by many peace proponents as a key tool against war , by the participants , they are often seen as simply ways to limit the high costs of the development and building of weapons , and even reduce the costs associated with war itself . Arms control can even be a way of maintaining the viability of military action by limiting those weapons that would make war so costly and destructive as to make it no longer a viable tool for national policy . Enforcement . Enforcement of arms control agreements has proven difficult over time . Most agreements rely on the continued desire of the participants to abide by the terms to remain effective . Usually , when a nation no longer desires to abide by the terms , they usually will seek to either covertly circumvent the terms or to simply end their participation in the treaty . This was seen in Washington Naval Treaty ( and the subsequent London Naval Treaty ) , where most participants sought to work around the limitations , some more legitimately than others . The United States developed better technology to get better performance from their ships while still working within the weight limits , the United Kingdom exploited a loop - hole in the terms , the Italians misrepresented the weight of their vessels , and when up against the limits , Japan simply left the treaty . The nations which violated the terms of the treaty did not suffer great consequences for their actions . Within little more than a decade , the treaty was abandoned . The Geneva Protocol has lasted longer and been more successful at being respected , but still nations have violated it at will when they have felt the need . Enforcement has been haphazard , with measures more a matter of politics than adherence to the terms . This meant sanctions and other measures tended to be advocated against violators primarily by their natural political enemies , while violations have been ignored or given only token measures by their political allies . More recent arms control treaties have included more stringent terms on enforcement of violations as well as verification . This last has been a major obstacle to effective enforcement , as violators often attempt to covertly circumvent the terms of the agreements . Verification is the process of determining whether or not a nation is complying with the terms of an agreement , and involves a combination of release of such information by participants as well as some way to allow participants to examine each other to verify that information . This often involves as much negotiation as the limits themselves , and in some cases questions of verification have led to the breakdown of treaty negotiations ( for example , verification was cited as a major concern by opponents of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty , ultimately not ratified by the United States ) . Nations may remain in a treaty while seeking to break the limits of that treaty as opposed to simply withdrawing from it . This is for two major reasons . To openly defy an agreement , even if one withdraws from it , often is seen in a bad light politically and can carry diplomatic repercussions . Additionally , if one remains in an agreement , competitors who are also participatory may be held to the limitations of the terms , while withdrawal releases your opponents to make the same developments you are making , limiting the advantage of that development . Theory of Arms Control . Scholars and practitioners such as John Steinbruner , Jonathan Dean or Stuart Croft worked extensively on the theoretical backing of arms control . Arms control is meant to break the security dilemma . It aims at mutual security between partners and overall stability ( be it in a crisis situation , a grand - strategy , or stability to put an end to an arms race ) . Other than stability , arms control comes with cost reduction and damage limitation . It is differs from disarmament since the maintenance of stability might allow for mutually controlled armament and does not take a peace - without - weapons - stance . Nevertheless , arms control is a defensive strategy in principle , since transparency , equality , and stability do not fit into an offensive strategy . History of Arms Control . One of the first recorded attempts in arms control was a set of rules laid down in ancient Greece by the Amphictyonic League s . Rulings specified how war could be waged , and breaches of this could be punished by fines or by war . There were few recorded attempts to control arms during the period between this and the rise of the Roman Catholic Church . The church used its position as a trans - national organization to limit the means of warfare . The 989 Peace of God ( extended in 1033 ) ruling protected noncombatants , agrarian and economic facilities , and the property of the church from war . The 1027 Truce of God also tried to prevent violence between Christians . The Second Lateran Council in 1139 prohibited the use of crossbow s against other Christians , although it did not prevent its use against non - Christians . The development of firearms led to an increase in the devastation of war . The brutality of wars during this period led to efforts to formalize the rules of war , with humane treatment for prisoners of war or wounded , as well as rules to protect non - combatants and the pillaging of their property . However during the period until the beginning of the 19th century few formal arms control agreements were recorded , except theoretical proposals and those imposed on defeated armies . One treaty which was concluded was the Strasbourg Agreement of 1675 . This is the first international agreement limiting the use of chemical weapon s , in this case , poison bullets . The treaty was signed between France and The Holy Roman Empire The 1817 Rush - Bagot Treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom was the first arms control treaty of what can be considered the modern industrial era , leading to the demilitarization of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain region of North America . This was followed by the 1871 Treaty of Washington which led to total demilitarisation . The industrial revolution led to the increasing mechanisation of warfare , as well as rapid advances in the development of firearms ; the increased potential of devastation ( which was seen in the battlefields of World War I ) led to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia calling together the leaders of 26 nations for the First Hague Conference in 1899 . The Conference led to the signing of the Hague Convention ( of 1899 ) that led to rules of declaring and conducting warfare as well as the use of modern weaponry , and also led to the setting up of the Permanent Court of Arbitration . A Second Hague Conference was called in 1907 leading to additions and amendments to the original 1899 agreement . A Third Hague Conference was called for 1915 , but this was abandoned due to the First World War . After the First World War the League of Nations was set up which attempted to limit and reduce arms . However the enforcement of this policy was not effective . Various naval conference s were held during the period between the First and Second World Wars to limit the number and size of major warships of the five great naval powers . The 1925 Geneva Conference led to the banning of chemical weapon s ( as toxic gases ) during war as part of the Geneva Protocol . The 1928 Kellogg - Briand Pact , whilst ineffective , attempted for " providing for the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy " . After World War II the United Nations was set up as a body to promote world peace . In 1957 the International Atomic Energy Agency was set up to monitor the proliferation of nuclear technology , including that of nuclear weapons . The 1968 Nuclear Non - Proliferation Treaty was signed to prevent further spread of nuclear weapons technology to countries outside the five that already possessed them : the United States , the Soviet Union , the United Kingdom , France and China . The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks ( SALT ) between the United States and Soviet Union in the late 1960s / early 1970s led to further weapons control agreements . The SALT I talks led to the Anti - Ballistic Missile Treaty and an " Interim Strategic Arms Limitation Agreement " ( see SALT I ) , both in 1972 . The SALT II talks started in 1972 leading to agreement in 1979 . Due to the Soviet Union ' s invasion of Afghanistan the United States never ratified the treaty , however the agreement was honoured by both sides . The Intermediate - Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was signed between the United States and Soviet Union in 1987 and ratified in 1988 , leading to an agreement to destroy all missile s with ranges from 500 to 5 , 500 kilometers . The 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention was signed banning the manufacture and use of chemical weapons . The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties were signed , as START I and START II , by the US and Soviet Union , further restricting weapons . This was further moved on by the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions , which was in turn superseded by the New START Treaty . The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1996 banning all nuclear explosions in all environments , for military or civilian purposes . List of treaties and conventions related to arms control . Some of the more important international arms control agreements follow : Other treaties also envision the creation of NWFZ , among other objectives . These are the following : Arms Control Organizations . The intergovernmental organization s for arms control are the following : There are also numerous non - governmental organizations that promote a global reduction in nuclear arms and offer research and analysis about U . S . nuclear weapons policy . Pre - eminent among these organizations is the Arms Control Association , founded in 1971 to promote public understanding of and support for arms control . Others include :