Why did Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decide to test nuclear weapons in 1974 and why and how did U.S. president Richard Nixon react?

To do this , a strong leader needed to come forward that would have the fortitude to make the nuclear decision for the nation of India , setting the stage for Indira Gandhi 's leadership , and ultimately , the decision that would bring response from the superpowers of the world

Indira Gandhi and Why the Nuclear Test of 1974 Happened

By the time that Indira Gandhi 's position in the political structure of India was secured , generally acknowledged to be the period of 1971-1972 the nuclear question was fresh in the minds of the Indian people

because of the aforementioned world events that were shaping the future of India from the outside . Internally , however , there were also political economic and social forces at work that hastened the ultimate answering of the nuclear question by Gandhi on behalf of her people

Politically speaking , despite Gandhi 's stronghold in the established government of India , there were other forces at work from a political standpoint that had the potential to tear the fragile nation apart Indicative of the revolutionary spirit that existed in much of the world at this time in history , Gandhi found herself having to contend with student groups , organized political factions , and outright subversives all of whom sought to topple the established political system and bring about their own forms of what they thought to be the perfect forms of government . This turmoil painted a disorganized picture for the other nations of the world to be sure

Economically , India found itself in the midst of one of the worst depressions that the nation had ever seen . Despite the fact that India was typically a poor nation to begin with , the population increases over the previous years led to a huge burden on the infrastructure of the nation , and as a result , famine , disease...