The Politics of NATO Short-Range Nuclear Modernization 1983-1990: The Follow-On-to-Lance Missile Decisions
Abstract
The follow-on to Lance (FOTL) missile was born in 1983 with a consensual decision by NATO, in the face of a worsening strategic situation, to pursue short-range nuclear force (SNF) modernization. The program continued despite increasing popular and political opposition in Europe. It ended with a May 1990 cancellation decision by the American bureaucracy that reflected converging pressures from the international system, from America's allies, and from the domestic arena. The thesis attempts to answer each question through the use of one of three analytical perspectives: systemic theory, alliance politics, or domestic politics. It concludes that during this time of diminishing threat at the systemic level, domestic-level factors within the German and American milieu became more important. While certain perspectives are better at explaining particular aspects or temporal periods of modernization cases, analysts should not focus on one perspective to the exclusion of others. Unexplained residual variables fall through the filter of each perspective, calling for further study by other approaches.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA239308
Entities
People
- Jeffrey A. Larsen
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology