Państwa progu jądrowego

The article reviews the concept of nuclear threshold states that appear in various publications. The author analyses arguments for different descriptions, the broadest - embracing a great number of states to the narrowest recognising only a few nuclear threshold states. Having discussed the motifs to posses nuclear weapons, the author worked out his own concept of a nuclear threshold state, giving the notion a certain capacity that allows to include the most often mentioned cases. The article also deals with motifs for not crossing the nuclear threshold. The author reviews in detail the actions of most often racognised nuclear threshold states taking into consideration nuclear programmes and declared doctrines to use nuclear weapon. These are the following (in the order discussed in the article): Israel, Argentina, Brazil, the Republic of South Africa, India and Pakistan. In conclusion the attention has been drawn to a changeable character of the nuclear threshold state's status which depends both on inner and outer factors not always dependent on the particuiar country.