NATO Nuclear Strategy. Some Lessons from History
Abstract
In this nuclear age, most of the history of past wars is wholly irrelevant to the future. But we can still learn something from it in one critically important field - that of political reactions and human behavior under the stress of war or the threat of imminent war. World War II was the first great war of which it was clear in advance that death and destruction would not be confined to the military forces in the field, but would have a direct and immediate impact on the civilian populations at home; so the history of what actually happened in that context before and after its outbreak in September 1939 is, to my mind, an indispensable background to any realistic examination of strategic policy in an age when the vital need is the prevention of war - which, unhappily, still involves the capacity to fight it effectively if it is forced upon us.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1964
- Accession Number
- ADB241489
Entities
People
- John C. Slessor
Organizations
- Center for Strategic and International Studies