The Soviet Military and Arms Control,
Abstract
Any effort to examine the attitudes and role of the Soviet military in arms control matters would be remiss not to point out the impossibility for Western observers to reach clear-cut, let alone definitive conclusions. The available data is simply inadequate to that task in the face of continuing Soviet secrecy about the USSR's political process and defense matters. To cite with reference to SALT but one example of this difficulty involving both attitudes and role, we do not know whether the military had more influence on the Soviet acceptance of the 1972 interim agreement on offensive weapons, at a time when Grechko was not in the Politburo and no professional military figures apparently participated directly in the Moscow summit meetings, or on the Soviet acceptance of the 1974 guidelines of offensive weapons, when Grechko had been on the Politburo for a year and a half and senior military representatives did take part in the Vladivostok summit. It should also be noted at the outset that the military do not necessarily think and act as a unified interest group on arms control.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA093684
Entities
People
- Douglas F. Garthoff
Organizations
- foreign affairs ministry