Can deterrence last. Peace through a nuclear strategy
With the recent rise of literature which questions the validity of deterrence doctrine- from unilateral disarmers to 'star wars' enthusiasts the author presents a report on deterrence theory, and a case for enhancing it. He states that the essence of deterrence is 'the ability to convince a state, which has it in mind to go to war with you, that no such advantageous profit and loss assessment is possible'. It is the enormous destructive power of nuclear weapons and the near impossibility of defending against them that has made deterrence generally accepted in the West as the only practical strategy in the post-1945 world. Nevertheless, the options placed before the West have become far more complex with the growth of Soviet nuclear forces and a Soviet conventional capability which remains highly formidable. Ever since the West's threat of 'massive retaliation' ceased to be credible, one of the corner-stones of the newer flexible-response doctrine has been the stated willingness to respond to a Soviet conventional attack on Western Europe with nuclear weapons.
- OSTI ID:
- 5745808
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
290200* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology
350000 -- Arms Control-- (1987-)
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ASIA
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
EASTERN EUROPE
EUROPE
EVALUATION
MILITARY STRATEGY
NATIONAL DEFENSE
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PLANNING
USSR
WARFARE
WEAPONS
WESTERN EUROPE