Abstract
Over the past forty years, there has been both consistency and change in Soviet thinking on nuclear war. Soviet leaders have grappled with such questions as: How many and what kinds of nuclear offensive and defensive forces are necessary for Soviet national security objectives? What is the likelihood of such a war? Can nuclear weapons serve as a practical instrument of Soviet foreign policy?
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
Raymond Garthoff, Soviet Strategy in the Nuclear Age, New York, Praeger, 1958
Colonel I. Korotkov, ‘The Development of Soviet Military Theory in the Post-War Years’, Voenno-Istoricheskii Zhurnal, no. 4 (April 1964) pp. 39–50. Cited in Thomas W. Wolfe, Soviet Strategy at the Crossroads, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1964, p. 267.
Revised versions of Military Strategy were published in 1963 and 1968. Harriet Scott’s 1975 book includes the text from all three versions. V. D. Sokolovskiy (ed.) Military Strategy, translated and edited by Harriet Fast Scott, New York, Crane, Russak, 1975.
See Arnett,’ soviet Attitudes’, Mary C. FitzGerald, ‘The Soviet Leadership on Nuclear War’, Soviet Union/Union Soviétique, vol. 13, no. 3, 1986, pp. 249–73.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1990 Carl G. Jacobsen
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Arnett, R. (1990). Soviet Thinking on Nuclear War. In: Jacobsen, C.G. (eds) Strategic Power: USA/USSR. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20574-5_33
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20574-5_33
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-52567-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-20574-5
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)