The logic of American nuclear strategy why strategic superiority matters /
What kind of nuclear strategy and posture does the US need to defend itself and its allies? According to conventional wisdom, the answer to this question is straightforward: the US needs the ability to absorb an enemy nuclear attack and respond with a devastating nuclear counterattack. These argumen...
| Main Author: | Kroenig, Matthew, |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | Oxford Scholarship Online. |
| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York, NY :
Oxford University Press,
2018.
|
| Physical Description: |
1 online resource : illustrations (black and white) |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: |
What kind of nuclear strategy and posture does the US need to defend itself and its allies? According to conventional wisdom, the answer to this question is straightforward: the US needs the ability to absorb an enemy nuclear attack and respond with a devastating nuclear counterattack. These arguments are logical and persuasive, but, when compared to the empirical record, they raise an important puzzle. Empirically, we see that the US has consistently maintained a nuclear posture that is much more robust than a mere second-strike capability. How do we make sense of this contradiction? Scholarly deterrence theory argues that the explanation is simple - policymakers are wrong. This work takes a different approach. Rather than dismiss it as illogical, it explains the logic of American nuclear strategy. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: |
Previously issued in print: 2018. Includes bibliographical references and index. What kind of nuclear strategy and posture does the US need to defend itself and its allies? According to conventional wisdom, the answer to this question is straightforward: the US needs the ability to absorb an enemy nuclear attack and respond with a devastating nuclear counterattack. These arguments are logical and persuasive, but, when compared to the empirical record, they raise an important puzzle. Empirically, we see that the US has consistently maintained a nuclear posture that is much more robust than a mere second-strike capability. How do we make sense of this contradiction? Scholarly deterrence theory argues that the explanation is simple - policymakers are wrong. This work takes a different approach. Rather than dismiss it as illogical, it explains the logic of American nuclear strategy. Specialized. |
| Physical Description: |
1 online resource : illustrations (black and white) |
| Audience: |
Specialized. |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: |
9780190870591 (ebook) : |