Deterrence before Hiroshima

Book · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5347538

Quester, G H

The gap between studies of military history and military strategy is ever widening. The enormous destructive power of nuclear weapons has tended to persuade us that the military experience of the first half of this century is not relevant to more ''modern'' military questions. In Deterrence before Hiroshima, first published in 1966, George H. Quester analyzes pre-nuclear age theories of deterrence to equip us with a perspective and data by which current theories can be evaluated. Quester shows that from almost the time of the first military aircraft, air-power was believed to have the capacity for apocalyptic destruction. He points out that the modern terms deterrence, limited war, tacit agreement, and balance of terror, show up often in the literature from 1900-1945, coupled with war scenarios every bit as awesome as a nuclear holocaust.

• OSTI ID: 5347538
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
AIRCRAFT
ASIA
EQUIPMENT
EXPLOSIONS
HIROSHIMA
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
JAPAN
MILITARY EQUIPMENT
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
RISK ASSESSMENT
WARFARE
WEAPONS