Near the end of the protracted negotiations that produced the historic Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) 40 years ago, U.S. government officials warned that countries could legally reach "nuclear pregnancy" under the Treaty and then withdraw and quickly acquire nukes. The documents detail the well-known resistance to the NPT from countries like India, Australia and Italy. The documents suggest that the current crisis in the NPT system has deep historical roots, but also that current headlines overlook the long-term achievements of the NPT regime.