Security Assistance Rationales: The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
Abstract
This thesis analyzes Soviet arm transfer policies within the Warsaw Treaty Organization relative to three perspectives; political and diplomatic, strategic and military, and economic. The political and diplomatic perspective emphasizes political control and maximization of Soviet influence a primary rationale for Soviet arms transfers. The strategic and military perspective emphasizes military power and the maximization of the Warsaw Treaty Organization's military potential as a alliance. The economic perspective focuses on the Soviet military-industrial complex and internal decision-making as a factor in arms transfers. The inter-relationship of these three perspectives defines the objectives and limitation of Soviet arms transfers within the Warsaw Treaty Organization. The thesis concludes that the quality of Soviet arem transferred to the WTO will always be at least a generation behind those equipping Soviet forces and that East European license production will only be of equipment that is relatively obsolete by Soviet standards.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA141773
Entities
People
- R. V. Kikla
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School