Origin and evolution of US Naval strategic nuclear policy to 1960. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6623993

Kreitlein, H C

This thesis treats the impact of the atomic bomb on traditional naval strategy as that strategy had developed under the influence of Captain Alfred T. Mahan, how traditional naval strategy was modified by the development of naval aviation, the lessons of World War II, and the leadership of James Forrestal, and how the adoption of atomic weapons into naval strategic planning was integrally tied to naval aviation. The growth of the Soviet Union as a threat to world peace, and interservice rivalry over roles and missions are compared as factors that influenced the development of post-World War II naval strategic thinking. The Navy's reaction to the adoption of massive retaliation as the foundation of the national strategic nuclear policy is discussed and analyzed.

• Research Organization: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6623993
• Report Number(s): AD-A-177352/2/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ASIA
EASTERN EUROPE
EUROPE
MILITARY STRATEGY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
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