Evaluating the Threat of Withdrawal from the NPT

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty contains a commitment to nuclear disarmament that, some analysts claim, may lead dissatisfied Non-Nuclear-Weapon States to withdraw from the treaty in protest. But what would be the consequences of such a move, and would any of the Non-Nuclear-Weapon States actually ever take such a step? Aaron Haviland traces a history of the treaty, scrutinises the likelihood of withdrawal on a normative basis, and weighs the implications for disarmament.