Why did South Africa Give up its Nukes? (Short Animated Documentary)

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Sources:

South Africa's Nuclear Weapons Program: From Deterrence to Dismantlement by Waldo Stumpf

Why South Africa Gave up the Bomb by J.W. de Villiers, Roger Tardine and Mitchell Reiss.

[martinfawkes]

History matters: why did South Africa give up its Nukes?
Me:South Africa had nukes?

[cormacmacsuibhne]

Please do a video on why Namibia is no longer a part of South Africa.

[petergyt]

It's taken 28 years but that shattering sound was the perfect way to concisely represent the break-up of the Soviet Union.

[adambrewer]

South Africa at this time is probably one of the few countries since 1945 who could claim to have got rid of nukes and be genuinely believed

[Sphere]

Just to add a little something. In September 1979 the Vela Incident occurred in the ocean halfway between S. Africa and Antarctica. A US satellite system detected a flash which was more than likely a nuclear explosion. The specific location and timing meant it should have gone undetected except one of the satellites in the global detection system which had been listed as inoperable was in fact still in working order and captured the flash. S. Africa denied it was a test, and the US quickly changed to official story to it likely being a natural event. But it probably was a clandestine small nuclear test, either done by S. Africa, Israel, or the two countries working together.

[shekels]

“Our nuclear weapons will be used for peaceful purposes”

- _Generic dictator_

[MISAKIBeats]

"We had Nukes" lmao, that's what you call a serious silent threat that no one ever knew about.

[daudasheni]

Being born and raised in South Africa, this was surprisingly accurate

[ARKOVZ]

"Can't leave them nuks to them blacks"
- Some Politicians

[drakemerwin]

US intervention in Central and South America during the cold war would be a great next video!

[SaintBrook]

There’s a little that was left out of this video on why South Africa developed nuclear weapons in the first place. They never did make enough weapons to serve as a deterrent to Angola attacking their country. Plus, nuking your own land to prevent a foreign invasion is less than ideal. Yes, Angola was backed by the Soviets. The South African government was banking on the United States intervening on their behalf if it looked like they were going to be overrun by communists. South Africa developed nuclear weapons to convince the American government that the consequences for not intervening would be worse than if they did intervene.

[noahbarnacz]

So we’re just going to brush over the CUBANS IN ANGOLA

[HistoryMonarch]

As someone with ADHD these history videos that go straight to the point but is still detailed and maintains context is like heaven to me. Plus visuals help a lot

[pfdrtom]

"Well, if we're going down for Gods sake don't let the ANC get the nukes". That was probably the REAL thinking.

[CaptainTripppz]

It was actually pretty common knowledge SA had nukes by the mid-1980s. Paul Verhoeven has a little fun with the issue in RoboCop (1987) during a fictional news piece that has the crumbling white apartheid government threatening to use them in order to prevent the fall of Pretoria.

[Inflamunas]

I just love how you always include portraits hanging on the wall—lends a degree of atmosphere lacking in other vids tbh 10/10

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

I represented South Africa in a Yom Kippur War committee in Model UN. I had fun threatening that I had uranium I could use and send to Israel. I gave some uranium to Australia thinking he wouldn't do anything against me and at the end he ended up nuking Cape Town

[skywarslord]

The nuclear warheads are peaceful! -South Africa


Mahandi Ghandi: Yes, I like you.

[Slynsmiley]

Having a look at the total disarray of the current SA government, getting rid of their Nukes was a demonstration of maturity, wisdom and foresight.

[David-kgnn]

I'm surprised the mysterious test detonation in the ocean near S Africa was not mentioned at all (the Vela incident). Never realized they actually had nuclear weapons. Good video otherwise.