Senior Seminar Midterm

"Bolt from the blue"

A surprise attack. Puts an end to CW nuclear thinking. This is a reason nuclear war could begin, however probably least likely type of nuclear attack

"Loose Nukes"

After the break up of the Soviet Union, states gave up nukes and these nukes were poorly guarded. Poorly guarded nukes in the USSR that might tempt terrorists or criminals. Significance: nukes could fall into the wrong hands ie a non-state actor Loose nukes challenge deterrence theory in that nuclear weapons may keep peace between states, but having them around increases the likelihood of them falling into the hands of a non-state actor that cannot be deterred or properly retaliated against

"Looking Glass"

The code name for an airborne command and control center operated by the United States. It would provide command and control of U.S. nuclear forces in the event that ground-based command centers have been destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperable(if an enemy were to attack with CF method). The Looking Glass was also designed to help ensure continuity and reconstitution of the US government in the event of a nuclear attack on the US. Guarantees that a second strike could occur, which keeps deterrence credible.

Fission v. Fusion bomb

There are two types of atomic explosions that can be facilitated by Uranium-235: fission and fusion. Fission, simply put, is a nuclear reaction in which an atomic nucleus splits into fragments, usually two fragments of comparable mass, emitting 100 million to several hundred million volts of energy. This energy is expelled explosively and violently in the atomic bomb. A fusion reaction is usually started with a fission reaction, but unlike the fission (atomic) bomb, the fusion (hydrogen) bomb derives its power from the fusing of nuclei of various hydrogen isotopes into helium nuclei. This article discusses the A-bomb or atomic bomb. Fission bombs, like those used in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, work by splitting the nucleus of an atom.

Yom Kippur War

The surprise attack by Egyptian and Syrian forces on Israel in October 1973 throws the Middle East into turmoil and threatens to bring the United States and the Soviet Union into direct conflict for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Though actual combat did not break out between the two nations, the events surrounding the Yom Kippur War seriously damaged U.S.-Soviet relations and all but destroyed President Richard Nixon's much publicized policy of detente. Initially, it appeared that Egypt and Syria would emerge victorious from the conflict. Armed with up-to-date Soviet weaponry, the two nations hoped to avenge their humiliating defeat in the Six-Day War of 1967. Israel, caught off guard, initially reeled under the two-front attack, but Israeli counterattacks turned the tide, aided by massive amounts of U.S. military assistance, as well as disorganization among the Syrian and Egyptian forces. The Syrians were driven back, with Israeli troops seizing the strategically important Golan Heights. Egyptian forces fared even worse: retreating back through the Sinai Desert, thousands of their troops were surrounded and cut off by the Israeli army. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, together with his Soviet counterparts, eventually arranged a shaky cease-fire. When it became clear that Israel would not give up its siege of the Egyptian troops (low on food and medicine by this time), the Soviets threatened to take unilateral action to rescue them. Tempers flared both in Washington and Moscow; U.S. military forces went to a Stage 3 alert (Stage 5 is the launch of nuclear attacks). The Soviets backed down on their threat but the damage to relations between the two nations was serious and long lasting. The lesser spoken about time that the world came to a nuclear brink (other time was the Cuban Missile Crisis) "Like John F. Kennedy a decade earlier, Golda Meir had stared into the nuclear abyss and found a path back to sanity. Mrs. Meir's decision not to accept Mr. Dayan's pessimism not only avoided a nuclear catastrophe, it demonstrated to the world that Israel was a responsible and trusted nuclear custodian"

SLBMs

A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines. A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) each of which carries a nuclear warhead and allows a single launched missile to strike several targets. Greatly important to US/Russia because they cannot be taken out in a first strike and are hard to detect Maintain ability to have a good retaliatory strike, which could make it less likely for a launch on warning attack, which is a cause of inadvertent nuclear war range, yield, accuracy, reliability, survivability, and readiness Trident and Poseidon Significance- working towards acquiring a secure second strike capability

A.Q. Kahn

Founded the uranium enrichment program for Pakistan (father of the "Islamic bomb"). AQ Khan was working in Belgium and was able to gain information on uranium enrichment. He offered his assistance to Ali Bhutto of Pakistan. He sold/traded information about nuclear weapons to Iran, North Korea, Libya and possibly other countries. His strongest punishment was house arrest until 2009 in Pakistan. Was key in assisting Pakistan to build their first nuclear weapon. -non state actor (him and the terrorists he has negotiated with)

Truman Doctrine

an American foreign policy created to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War. Truman established that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. principle that US should give support to countries threatened by Soviet forces or communist infiltration. the Truman doctrine implied American support for other nations threatened by Soviet communism. The Truman Doctrine became the foundation of American foreign policy, and led, in 1949, to the formation of NATO. It marked a reversal of the USA's traditional policy of 'isolationism' where they used to stay out of international affairs It suggested that there could be no further co-operation between East and West due to their ideological differences, marking the unofficial end of the Grand Alliance and the beginning of the Cold War

MX

experimental missile project proposed by Jimmy Carter, but was never completed instead focus shifted to Reagan's SDI. Never built, Reagan re-armament. Brought back after Carter did away with it just to negotiate away with Gorbachev. Was it just a tool for negotiation?

The "thaw"

refers to the period from the early 1950s to the early 1960s when repression and censorship in the Soviet Union were relaxed, and millions of Soviet political prisoners were released from Gulag labor camps due to Nikita Khrushchev's policies of de-Stalinization and peaceful coexistence with other nations.This led to a broader understanding of the world than was previously allowed in Russia. So although Krushchev's power wasn't great, led the path for younger, more educated, independent thinkers to come into power, like Gorbachev. - compared with perestroika and glasnost in the 1980s led by Gorbachev

ICBM

-greater range and speed than other ballistic missiles -can strike quickly giving more likelihood of a first-strike against an enemy Intercontinental ballistic missile; primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Similarly, conventional, chemical, and biological weapons can also be delivered with varying effectiveness, but have never been deployed on ICBMs. As of this writing, only three countries have operational ICBM systems: the United States, Russia, and China. Example- Minuteman (only land-based ICBM in US).Under the terms of SALT II, the Peacekeeper was taken out of service. The operational ICBM capacity of the United States now consists only of the Minuteman III, the most recent version of the original solid fuel ICBM. Sig: ICBMs could deliver nuclear weapons in a manner that was virtually immune to defensive measures.

NPT

1968 Non Proliferation Treaty for non proliferation, disarmament, and peaceful use. Exceptions are India, Israel, Pakistan, North Korea. It founded the IAEA, the bureaucracy responsible for enforcing and implementing inspections. The treaty divided states into have and have notes, so states that had them and could keep them but other states couldn't have them at all.

Helsinki Accords

1975: The Helsinki Accords were primarily an effort to reduce tension between the Soviet and Western blocs by securing their common acceptance of the post-World War II status quo in Europe. The agreement recognized the inviolability of the post-World War II frontiers in Europe and pledged the 35 signatory nations to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to cooperate in economic, scientific, humanitarian, and other areas.

SDI

The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as Star Wars, was a program first initiated on March 23, 1983 under President Ronald Reagan. The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the Soviet Union. Although the program seemed to have no negative consequences, there were concerns brought up about the program "contravening" the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks years before. For this reason, in conjunction with budgetary constraints, the Strategic Defense Initiative was ultimately set aside.; challenges deterrence; SDI led to START; many argued that a creation of a large anti-ballistic missile system would raise tensions between the two nations and potentially spark a conflict. Because having a pre-emptive strike in a nuclear war would be advantageous, both nations were already on edge and so it was decided that any project which could jeopardize the balance would be discarded.

Gorbachev

last leader of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev and Reagan worked with one another over the issue of nuclear arms reduction. Attempts at negotiations broke down when Gorbachev said an agreement would be possible if the U.S. terminated its development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Cold War: nuclear arms race with US fostered warmer relationship w/US and met w/Reagan during summits, eventually agreeing to nuclear disarmament and effectively ending the cold war

Nuclear Winter

no winners, third parties affected even if theyre not involved. Environmental catastrophe

Yalta Conference

the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, represented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Premier Joseph Stalin, respectively, for the purpose of discussing Europe's post-war reorganization.The meeting was intended mainly to discuss the re-establishment of the nations of war-torn Europe. Within a few years, with the Cold War dividing the continent, Yalta became a subject of intense controversy. To a degree, it has remained controversial. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin meet to discuss the Allied war effort against Germany and Japan and to try and settle some nagging diplomatic issues. While a number of important agreements were reached at the conference, tensions over European issues—particularly the fate of Poland—foreshadowed the crumbling of the Grand Alliance that had developed between the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union during World War II and hinted at the Cold War to come. provided the high point of Soviet-U.S. Relations. It showed cooperation of financial, territorial, and economic post war conditions -- culture of mistrust

Secure 2nd Strike

A country's assured ability to respond to a nuclear attack with powerful nuclear retaliation against the attacker. obtaining and preserving a secure second strike force has long been a primary goal for nuclear policymakers. Deterrence is achieved not through the ability to defend but through the ability to punish. Purely deterrent forces provide no defence. The message of a deterrent strategy is this: 'Although we are defenceless, if you attack we will punish you to an extent that more than cancels your gains. The issue of second strike capability has been in the news as of late with regards to the situation as it pertains to India and Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers in the international system. For example, there were discussions in March 2015 about Pakistan's desire to implement a sea-based second strike capability to a potential nuclear attack. realists, have pointed to as evidence that nuclear weapons can stabilize the international system, that states will not want to fight one another. Essential component to deterrence theory - if you do not have a secure second strike, your opponent will likely pre-emptively attack in order to eliminate your nuclear arsenal

H5N1

A strain of Influenza A. Also Avian/bird flu. Targets young/strong people by "tricking" the immune system. H5N1 occasionally infects humans. H5N1 represents a potential biological weapon, where a concern lies in a biological virus or other biological specimen being weaponized in order to kill/infect large populations. A unique flu that attacks healthy, young people (20s/30s) and 60% of reported cases end in death. Flu can wipe out potentially millions of people (such as the 1918 Spanish Flu), demonstrating how biological weapons is the greatest threat to global security (aside from nuclear attack). -- no first response for biological weapons -- Spreadable -- just used for death -- less manufactured, hardest to detect that it's being developed, hard to control, most vulnerable to attack

Chemical Weapons Convention

Convention that outlaws the creation, development, stockpiling, or transfer of chemical weapons and that all parties must takes steps to destroy their chemical weapon stocks. The convention also says that states must take the necessary steps to prevent individuals within their territories from developing chemical weapons as well. Could be said to be a success or a failure, as not all states have taken steps to destroy their stockpiles (US, for example). (More could be added) Signed in 1993 Failed international treaty (nothing is really binding because of state sovereignty): 2002 Moscow Theatre Hostage Crisis: nerve agent used on Chechen insurgents and civilians, caused hundreds of deaths Aum Shinrikyo attack on Tokyo train -easier to produce and harder to know who did it -dual use problems

Nuclear TRIAD

A nuclear triad refers to the nuclear weapons delivery of a strategic nuclear arsenal which consists of three components: land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), strategic bombers, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). The purpose of having a three-branched nuclear capability is to significantly reduce the possibility that an enemy could destroy all of a nation's nuclear forces in a first-strike attack; this, in turn, ensures a credible threat of a second strike, and thus increases a nation's nuclear deterrence. Land, Sea, Air; The purpose of having a three-branched nuclear capability is to significantly reduce the possibility that an enemy could destroy all of a nation's nuclear forces in a first-strike attack; this, in turn, ensures a credible threat of a second strike, and thus increases a nation's nuclear deterrence. (Range, yield, accuracy, reliability, survivability, readiness). To recap the US nuclear strategy during that period very briefly, American forces gradually moved -- based on technology progress in both nuclear weapons design and delivery mechanisms -- from the largely CV-based approach required by manned bombers in the Forties to an approach featuring a blended CV/CF plan using the so-called "triad" of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), manned bombers now equipped with stand-off delivery systems, and, lurking deep beneath the seas, a significantly-resilient fleet of ballistic missile submarines capable of long-term submerged operations. Each leg of the missile/bomber/sub triad had its strengths and weaknesses. Land-based ICBMs were fast (~ 30 minutes' flight from launch to impact), increasingly accurate (under 100 meters by the Eighties), and capable of multiple warhead payloads, yet once launched, they could not be recalled. Manned bombers had long flight times, but were capable of a vast array of missions and payloads, all under the command of their human crews from launch until return or destruction. Submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) had generally less accuracy than their land-based counterparts, but their launch platforms were extremely hard to find and kill once they had reached their optimal operating depths and conditions.

Inadvertent nuclear war

A nuclear war without a deliberate and properly informed decision on behalf of the involved states. While the chance of an accidental nuclear war is considered "low", many believe it has risen to the chance of a deliberate one. Accidents could occur at any step of the process (warning systems, command systems, weapons carriers, predelegated authorities, the weapons themselves, etc.) Just as generals are sometimes accused of preparing for a previous war, arms controllers are perhaps spending too much of their time and effort trying to deal with a previous problem, namely deliberate nuclear war. While the chance of a deliberate nuclear war has probably fallen due to mutual deterrence, the chance of an accidental nuclear war has probably risen due to the nature of newer weapons systems. the Chernobyl nuclear power reactor accident of 1986 is instructive in this regard. there were safety systems that would have probably worked, but were removed in order to perform a test, comparable to tests involving nukes. The proximate cause of the accident was the occurrence of various operator errors due to fatigue as they had to wait 10 hours to conduct the test due to backups. This case highlights the importance of operators as critical elements in a complex system. What makes arms control in order to reduce the chance of accidendal nuclear war so important is that it is an issue that effects all nations that possess nukes. The US and Russia signed the Accidents Measures Agreement which is still in effect. The USSR was in full compliance with it in notifying the US about the explosion and fire on its submarine carrying nuclear weapons in the Atlantic in 1986.

EMP

A short burst of electromagnetic radiation created by nuclear explosions. If we were attacked at a high altitude by a nuclear weapon, it would cripple our infrastructure and power grid. A warning is being raised regarding our electric grid system in order to protect it from an EMP attack, which would force us to face the greatest catastrophe the US has ever seen. However, given the clear vulnerability of our electric grid, one would think that the government would have this as a top priority. The EMP Task Force, a bipartisan congressional commission, has requested $2B to reinforce the electrical grid, but says the Obama administration has not followed up on the commission's recommendations. Currently they are looking at the Cheyenne Mountain(the Cold War bunker) in order to protect the electric grid system. Ex: In the 1962 Starfish Prime test, during which a nuclear weapon was detonated 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Johnston Island in the Pacific, electrical equipment more than 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) away in Hawaii was affected. Street lights, alarms, circuit breakers, and communications equipment all showed signs of distortions and damage. Sig: Infrastructure has always been a target in a time of war, both to erode military capabilities and to bring political pressure to bear. The United States is fairly transparent about the locations of some major military and intelligence facilities, and key economic nodes are easy to pinpoint as well. The Sept. 11 attackers, after all, went after a military target (the Pentagon) and an economic one (the World Trade Center). In addition, most U.S. military bases are connected to civilian electricity grids, as are any economic targets, an interdependency that is well known. In this age of electricity, the grid is what the military calls a "center of gravity." Extra level of damage to be expected when considering a nuclear engagement.

Berlin Airlift

At the end of the Second World War, U.S., British, and Soviet military forces divided and occupied Germany. Also divided into occupation zones, Berlin was located far inside Soviet-controlled eastern Germany. The United States, United Kingdom, and France controlled western portions of the city, while Soviet troops controlled the eastern sector. As the wartime alliance between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union ended and friendly relations turned hostile, the question of whether the western occupation zones in Berlin would remain under Western Allied control or whether the city would be absorbed into Soviet-controlled eastern Germany led to the first Berlin crisis of the Cold War. The crisis started on June 24, 1948, when Soviet forces blockaded rail, road, and water access to Allied-controlled areas of Berlin. The United States and United Kingdom responded by airlifting food and fuel to Berlin from Allied airbases in western Germany. The crisis ended on May 12, 1949, when Soviet forces lifted the blockade on land access to western Berlin. On May 11, 1949, Moscow lifted the blockade of West Berlin. The Berlin Crisis of 1948-1949 solidified the division of Europe. Shortly before the end of the blockade, the Western Allies created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Two weeks after the end of the blockade, the state of West Germany was established, soon followed by the creation of East Germany. The incident solidified the demarcation between East and West in Europe; it was one of the few places on earth that U.S. and Soviet armed forces stood face-to-face. It also transformed Berlin, once equated with Prussian militarism and Nazism, into a symbol of democracy and freedom in the fight against Communism.

CTBT

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) laid out fifty years ago by President John F. Kennedy is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996 but has not entered into force as eight specific states have not ratified the treaty.This followed an argument that suggested that there may not be any need to test weapons anymore. It could be obsolete due to computer modeling. Most states have signed on, agreeing not to test bombs in the atmosphere sig: -Hinder states that do not have nuclear weapons expertise and experience from advancing their nuclear weapons capabilities, while not affecting the ability of the United States to maintain its own nuclear deterrent force. States interested in pursuing a nuclear weapons program or advancing or expanding the capabilities of an existing nuclear weapons program would have to either risk deploying weapons without confidence that they will work as designed, or incurring international condemnation and reprisals by conducting nuclear explosive tests in violation of the Treaty; -Impede states with more established nuclear weapon capabilities from confirming the performance of advanced nuclear weapon designs that they have not tested successfully in the past; and -Constrain regional arms races in the years and decades to come. These constraints will be particularly important in Asia, where states are building up and modernizing nuclear forces.

Glasnost

Glasnost, or openness, was designed to increase the efficacy of the Soviet system by allowing for constructive criticism and open dialogue. However, what Gorbachev either failed to predict or control for was that allowing such openness led to criticism of the Soviet Union and the Communist model itself. Previously suppressed ideas regarding capitalism and the West were now in the open, and the Soviet system became to come under attack from domestic forces. To make matters worse, the Soviet Union had always been a collection of various nationalities and ethnicities united under Communist rule. As this communist fabric began to weaken, so too did the Union — ethnic and nationalist rivalries began to reappear, and such conflict invited the dissolution of the USSR into 15 separate republics by 1991. It should be noted that during this time the Soviet Union pursued a foreign policy of "New Thinking" that was extremely popular abroad. This involved demilitarization, non-intervention (e.g. the so-called Sinatra Doctrine), and international cooperation. Domestic criticism suggested, therefore, that Gorbachev prioritized foreign policy over domestic policy, and that he was willing to sacrifice Soviet well-being for international goodwill. Though it is difficult to substantiate this claim, what matters is that this is what it appeared like to the Soviet people, further decreasing Gorbachev's popularity and weakening the Soviet state. Thus, the collapse of the Soviet Union can effectively be traced back to Soviet leader Gorbachev's failed policies of domestic economic and political reform: perestroika and glasnost.

SS-20s

In the mid-1970s, the Soviet Union achieved rough strategic parity with the United States. Shortly thereafter, the Soviet Union began replacing older intermediate-range SS-4 and SS-5 missiles with a new intermediate-range missile, the SS-20. The SS-20 was more accurate, and capable of being concealed and rapidly redeployed and carried 3 MIRV warheads. This missile was capable of hitting targets throughout Western Europe. The threat of a limited nuclear war in Europe was now a possibility. The United States pressured various members of NATO to allow the installation of the Pershing II ballistic missile and ground launched cruise missiles in their countries. The proposed deployment prompted mass demonstrations across Western Europe. Relations between the United States and the Soviet Union continued to worsen. To try to repair relations, both sides began to press for the signing of the SALT II treaty. This treaty set upper limits on their nuclear arsenals, and new weapons technology, such as MIRV warheads and cruise missiles, were counted in the number of weapons each side was allowed. Removed from Europe following 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. So it caused an arms race escalation and prompted the US to create GLCMs. Shorter flight time meant increased risk of inadvertent nuclear war. However, it was positive in that it led to the INF which banned them. Not covered in SALT Treaty (medium-range)

INF

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed in Washington on Dec 87 by Reagan and Gorbachev-eliminated all nuclear and conventional missiles, as well as their launchers.Response to USSR and later US balancing deployment of such weapons in Europe. Recognized the need to eliminate such weapons because they increased tensions and shorter flight time meant increased risk of inadvertent nuclear war. The INF saga began in the late 1970s as a result of two West European worries. First, the Soviets were deploying new SS-20 missiles, which were mobile, accurate, equipped with multiple warheads, and targeted on Western Europe. Second, the Americans were ignoring European interests in negotiating the second Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II) Treaty, seeking limits only on the nuclear threat to the United States. Sen. Sam Nunn's conclusion that the treaty makes a 'modest but useful contribution to NATO security.'

Force de Frappe

Is the designation of what used to be a triad of air-, sea- and land-based nuclear weapons intended for dissuasion, the French term for deterrence. The French Nuclear Force, part of the Armed Forces of France, is the third largest nuclear-weapons force in the world, following the nuclear triads of the Russian Federation and the United States. President Charles de Gaulle, upon his return to power in 1958, solidified the initial vision into the well-defined concept of a fully independent Force de Frappe capable of protecting France from a Soviet or other foreign attack, independent of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which President de Gaulle considered to be dominated by the United States to an unacceptable degree. In particular, France was concerned that in the event of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe, the US—already bogged down in the War in Vietnam and afraid of Soviet retaliation against the United States proper—would not come to the aid of its Allies in Western Europe. According to de Gaulle, France should never trust its defense and therefore its very existence to a foreign and thus unreliable protector. The strategic concept behind the Force de Frappe is one of countervalue, i.e., the capacity to inflict so much damage on a potential (and more powerful) adversary's population that the potential adversary will be deterred from attacking no matter how much destruction they themselves are capable of inflicting (see Mutual Assured Destruction).

MAD

MAD works on a nuclear arms race between two enemy nations. Each develops more and more advanced nuclear arsenal to compete with the development of the enemy's defenses. When both nations have nuclear capability, then they avoid attacking each other out of fear of a nuclear retaliation, which will lead to unacceptable casualties or even total destruction of the attacker. Let alone victory, even the survival of the aggressor is at stake. The MAD doctrine worked fairly well in keeping relative peace through the 1950s, '60s, and early '70s, as both, the US and USSR developed capabilities to launch nuclear assaults deep inside each others territory. The MAD doctrine was vital in reducing the chances of nuclear conflict between the USA and USSR for almost five decades after World War II. Considering that by 1961 both nations had developed enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world several times over, this definitely helped save millions of lives. Besides, it gave a chance to the European nations to recover from the effects of the World Wars. The closest that the two nations got to attacking each other during the Cold War was during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the US realized that the Soviet Union was setting up nuclear warheads in Cuba, just 60 miles south of the Florida border. Soon after, USA threatened to launch missiles at the Soviet Union. Tensions reduced between the two countries when the USSR removed the Cuban installation, while USA removed its missiles in Turkey that were aimed at the USSR. This solution was good proof of MAD's effectiveness. A tenant of the necessity of deterrence as a strategy.

Maximum/Minimum deterrence

Minimum deterrence: having weapons, it doesn't take much to deter someone. First strike capabilities; when a state possesses no more nuclear weapons than is necessary to deter an adversary from attacking. Pure minimal deterrence is a doctrine of no first use, holding that the only mission of nuclear weapons is to deter a nuclear adversary by making the cost of a first strike unacceptably high. Minimum deterrence is the doctrine of China. It seeks ONLY to deter nuclear threats and attacks on its own country. China was threatened by Ike in 1952 and 1954. China did not know Ike was bluffing - that he had zero intent to use them no matter if he got his way or not. Nuclear winter good argument for minimum deterrence. Maximum deterrence: as participating in a nuclear arms race - attempting to obtain a strategic advantage in a general nuclear war. The USA - under the Kennedy Administration - considered attacking the USSR in peacetime - to prevent mutual deterrence coming into effect. Later, under Johnson, it considered attacking China, to prevent it becoming a nuclear power. Russia, in the Nixon era, considered the same thing - and asked Nixon if we would let them? [He said no - an attack on China - even a limited attack - would be treated as a general attack on the USA]. Maximum deterrence seeks to win by attacking first - a so called "first strike" - because theoretically you can get almost all the other guy's nuclear weapons and defang him. It also seeks to prevent that from being possible. So we "launch on warning" - before the weapons arrive - leading to a very unstable situation.

SALT I

Negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union that were aimed at curtailing the manufacture of strategic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The doctrine of mutually assured destruction was effective in reducing tensions between the two superpowers, which resulted in the signing of the SALT treaties between them. Of the resulting complex of agreements (SALT I), the most important were the Treaty on Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Systems and the Interim Agreement and Protocol on Limitation of Strategic Offensive Weapons. Both were signed by President Richard M. Nixon for the United States and Leonid Brezhnev, general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, for the U.S.S.R. on May 26, 1972, at a summit meeting in Moscow. SALT I is considered the crowning achievement of the Nixon-Kissinger strategy of détente. Let to the STARTS MRV (more of a shotgun effect) vs MIRV, we had an increasing number of MIRVs and Soviets did not. This was to keep détente while insuring deterrence because the US had more technological ability

"Firebreak"

Notion of nuclear firebreak is based upon a major premise of current military thought: that a full-scale nuclear war, should one ever occur, would probably result from a conventional conflict that exploded out of control, prompting one side to use nuclear arms in a desperate bid to stave off defeat. The only existing barrier to such escalation is a moral and psychological firebreak--the widely shared perception that nuclear weapons are different from all other weapons, and that their use could unleash a chain reaction. So long as this firebreak remains wide and secure, so long as the distinction between nuclear and conventional arms remains sharp and unambiguous, potential combatants will retain an incentive to stay on the non-nuclear side of the divide, no matter what their prospects are on the conventional battlefield. This unfortunately is the situation of today. As a result of modernization in nukes as well as conventional weapons, the continued existence of the nuclear firebreak is in jeopardy. The innovations regarding the carriers that deploy these weapons are now made to be dual-function, meaning that they can carry nuclear as well as conventional arms, making the nuclear firebreak narrower and narrower. This causes the risk of cross-firebreak escalation will greatly increase. Example: NATO's May 1984 decision to develop conventional arms with a destructive potential akin to that of low-yield "tactital" nuclear weapons.

Perestroika

Perestroika was a policy of limited economic reform that was designed to restructure the Soviet economy from a purely communist, state-planned model to one that allowed for limited private ownership and incorporated basic capitalist concepts. At first, the Soviet people, suffering from a shortage in consumer goods and generally low standards of living, welcomed this new economy. But the problem with such a transition is that it takes time, and the Soviet people, having put up with these flaws for the last few decades, were not very patient. Perestroika did not produce a large enough increase in the production of consumer goods, nor did it improve standards of living by enough. The poor performance of this transitional economy invited dissent by conservatives who wanted a return to the communist model and liberals who wanted to move even further from communism. Such dissent weakened both Gorbachev and the USSR as a whole, paving the way for the collapse of Gorbachev's administration, the failed coup of 1991, and ultimately Yeltsin's rise to power as President of Russia.

National Security Act of 47

a major restructuring of the United States government's military and intelligence agencies following World War II. more centralized military -recognition that we need to be more organized for war -fundamental change in US warfare -US way stronger (realist mood of the time, power deters power) -increase credibility (deterrence)

SIOP

Strategic Interoperability Plan- the United States' general plan for nuclear war from 1961 to 2003. The SIOP gave the President of the United States a range of targeting options, and described launch procedures and target sets against which nuclear weapons would be launched. The plan integrated the capabilities of the nuclear triad of strategic bombers, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), and sea-based submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). The SIOP was a highly classified document, and was one of the most secret and sensitive issues in U.S. national security policy.

Preemptive War

Taking first strike against a viable threat to prevent that threat from happening, some sort of crisis and reason to believe you could be attacked. By President Nixon's "own count, he seriously considered first-strike nuclear attacks on four occasions: in a 'massive escalation' if the Vietnam war, during the 1973 Israeli-Arab 'October War,' during 'an intensification of the Soviet-Chinese border dispute,' and during the 1971 India-Pakistan war."This idea could potentially be very dangerous. It brings up the morality question: should we only launch on impact? What is more important, protecting the most citizens and interests possible, or making sure you don't have inadvertent war? a war that is commenced in an attempt to repel or defeat a perceived imminent offensive or invasion, or to gain a strategic advantage in an impending war shortly before that attack materializes. Significance- Fear plays a large part in this. the threat of a preemptive American attack adds risks to a volatile situation since North Korea has always insisted that was the U.S. intention. Its leaders have used that claim to justify creating one of the world's most heavily armed states.

Mr. "X" Letter

a scholar who lived in Soviet Union wrote article concerning the aggressive nature of Stalin's foreign policy. It became the cornerstone of US policy during the cold War because it encouraged a US policy of economic and political containment toward the Soviet Union.

ABM Treaty

The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between the US and the Soviet Union; on the limitation of the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems used in defending areas against ballistic missile-delivered nuclear weapons. The development of an ABM system could allow one side to launch a first strike and then prevent the other from retaliating by shooting down incoming missiles. Hurts deterrence Robert McNamara While abolition of nuclear weapons would be impossible, limiting the development of both offensive and defensive strategic systems would stabilize U.S./Soviet relations. For the first time during the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union had agreed to limit the number of nuclear missiles in their arsenals.

Manhattan Project

a research development project that produced the first nuclear weapons during WWII. Significance: was to put an end to WWII by using weapons of mass destruction that forced Japan to surrender. It also opened opportunities for the research of more powerful nuclear atomic bombs and the use of them in future wars or conflicts. The negative part of the Manhattan project was that it also gave other countries the opportunity to develop nuclear weapons that are more powerful, which could pose a threat on America.

Counterforce/Countervalue Targeting

The Countervalue Strategy targets the population of the opponent. Countervalue was thought of as the true deterrence which would be accomplished with a secure second-strike capability (assured destruction). Most freedom folks who are aware of the counterforce(CF)/countervalue (CV) distinction have consciously avoided any discussion of possible CV tactics and/or strategies based on a perception that inviolable moral codes will be inevitably broken when CV conflict commences. The assumed posture of all post-WW2 Administrations up until Reagan was that the United States would absorb a first blow, then deal a devastating response to the aggressor using all elements of the strategic triad. In a hypothetical scenario, Russia would launch a CV attack(pentagon)/EMP with no warning. Then, Russia would launch everything else so that we wouldn't have the opportunity to launch a CF attack, leaving us no choice but to launch a CV attack, therefore we need to focus all our efforts on both strategies. The Counterforce Strategy targets the opponent's military-industrial infra-structure. The idea was that counterforce targeting could give the adversary the incentive to not strike American cities. The intent of a counterforce strategy is to disarm an adversary by destroying its nuclear weapons before they can be launched, thereby minimizing the impact of a retaliatory second strike. Nuclear weapons have changed dramatically over the past few decades. The revolution and modernization in accuracy and sensors, and the relatively small contemporary arsenals, mean that nuclear balances around the world bear no resemblance to that in the CW. Now, even the second-largest nuclear arsenal(Russia's) could be destroyed in a disarming strike. counterforce targeting may seem more moral, but is only made possible by advances in nuclear weapons that make them more accurate, making such a strategy more tempting for a first strike. Because counterforce targeting may be tolerable for both, it can lead to higher potential to attempt to win a limited nuclear war with a first strike.

GLCMs

The Ground Launched Cruise Missile, or GLCM, was a ground-launched cruise missile developed by the United States Air Force in the last decade of the Cold War.The BGM-109G was developed as a counter to the mobile medium- and intermediate- range ballistic nuclear missiles (SS-20 Saber) deployed by the Soviet Union in Eastern Bloc European countries. The GLCM and the U.S. Army's Pershing II may have been the incentives that fostered Soviet willingness to sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF treaty), and thus possibly reduced the threat of nuclear wars in Europe. The GLCM and the U.S. Army's Pershing II may have been the incentives that fostered Soviet willingness to sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF treaty), and thus possibly reduced the threat of nuclear wars in Europe.

Kargil

The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control. The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side. It is one of the very few instances of direct, conventional warfare between nuclear states. -deterrence works because would still only use conventional weapons -aspirations for nukes can cause war, but having nukes will deter other nuclear states -reason they got nukes was because they were suspicious of each other

Missile and Bomber Gaps

The Missile Gap was in essence a growing perception in the West, especially in the USA, that the Soviet Union was quickly developing an intercontinental range ballistic missile (ICBM) capability earlier, in greater numbers, and with far more capability than that of the United States. The "bomber gap" was the unfounded belief in the Cold War-era United States that the Soviet Union's Long Range Aviation had gained an advantage in deploying jet-powered strategic bombers. During the "Missile Gap" of the 1950s and 1960s, the United States drastically overestimated the number of Soviet missiles The study of the Missile Gap period is especially relevant because it relates to today's situation in Iraq, North Korea, and Iran. "Psychologically, we had fallen behind," Kaplan said. He added that the U.S. also thought that 1961 would be a year of maximum danger when the Soviets would launch a surprise attack.

PAL

The Permissive Action Link was an analog, environmental or electronic code to detonate WMD, and was used to keep WMD's from falling to the hands of terrorists groups or non-state actor. These codes included analog, environmental or electronic codes that would make it (hopefully) impossible to detonate a WMD. We shared these codes with the Soviet Union to help them make theirs more safe, and attempted to do the same with Pakistan but were refused. Should you accidentally drop a nuclear weapon as was almost done in Spain, Greenland, N. Carolina, technological advances are in place so that they don't detonate and they can't be stolen and detonated in the wrong hands, aka non-state actors.

Détente

The easing of hostility or strained relations between countries. It is the name given to a period of improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union that began tentatively in 1971 and took decisive form when President Nixon visited the secretary-general of the Soviet Communist party, Leonid I. Brezhnev, in Moscow, May 1972. Work towards disarmament on each side, peace through cooperation.

Cuban Missile Crisis

This was the closest the US had gotten to nuclear war since WWII, given there was a threat of nuclear warfare just 90 miles outside of US soil. After the crisis, the US and USSR made secret negotiations, where the US agreed to remove missiles from Italy and Turkey. These secret negotiations were an embarrassment for the USSR because they were seen as weak for "backing down" against the US. Both the Americans and Soviets were sobered by the Cuban Missile Crisis. The following year, a direct "hot line" communication link was installed between Washington and Moscow to help defuse similar situations, and the superpowers signed two treaties related to nuclear weapons. The Cold War was far from over, though. In fact, another legacy of the crisis was that it convinced the Soviets to increase their investment in an arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. from Soviet territory.

Treaty of Tlatelolco

Treaty of nuclear nonproliferation for Latin America and signed by 33 states total. Served as an example for further nonproliferation treaties. This treaty prohibits the signing states from obtaining, possessing, using, or acquiring nuclear weapons and also prohibits other states from using or storing nuclear weapons on their territories. Signed 2/1967 Why can't this happen in other places? -first regional agreement of its time -could be used as an example of other nuclear weapon free zones -different geopolitical situations, it is hard to determine whether or not it could work in different contexts at different times