Perceptions of Nuclear War.

Abstract

Mutual deterrence has been the keystone of U.S. nuclear strategic policy with respect to the Soviet Union. But for mutual deterrence to be viable, the perceptions of nuclear weapons and nuclear war must be shared by both nations. There are currently many misconceptions in the West about Soviet views of nuclear war. These misconceptions have been reinforced over the years by Soviet public pronouncements. Through an examination of the mindset of the Soviet people, Soviet doctrinal literature, and Soviet offensive and defensive systems, this paper provides compelling evidence for the way the Soviet Union really perceives nuclear war.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1987
Accession Number
ADA186654

Entities

People

  • Nick Alexandrow

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Civil Defense
  • Communism
  • Defense Systems
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
  • Military Science
  • Military Strategy
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Bombs
  • Public Policy
  • Students
  • Treaties
  • War Colleges
  • Warning Systems
  • Weapons Effects

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies