Nuclear Policy as it Affects NATO
Abstract
What is Nuclear Policy? Nuclear policy is part of a country's national policy; its task is to help secure the national objectives. When a country is a member of an alliance, its national policy should accord with the general objectives of the alliance insofar as possible. This presupposes a clear-cut common policy (grand strategy), or at least a generally recognized scale of political priorities. The more partners there are the more difficult it will be to reach a common policy and to fix priorities. In a coordinated alliance of equal partners, such as NATO, a consensus is especially difficult of achievement. The decisions of the NATO Council can be made by unanimous vote only, and its members are subject to the directives of their own governments. On a somewhat lower level the same applies to the NATO Military Council. In contrast, the Warsaw Pact is a subordinated alliance, a hegemony; its "council" has an advisory capacity only, and there is a single supreme commander who is always a Russian marshal and gets his orders from the Kremlin without any discussion by the council.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1964
- Accession Number
- ADB241436
Entities
People
- Friedrich Ruge
Organizations
- Center for Strategic and International Studies