Strategic Defense, Deterrence, and Arms Control

The development of nuclear weapons created a watershed in the history of military strategy. Heretofore, the ability to deter war had depended on the ability to defend oneself against attack and to defeat an aggressor. As nuclear weapons became increasingly powerful, and their means of delivery more unstopable, this relationship was shattered. This paper explores the development of nuclear deterrence from both the U.S. and Soviet perspectives, and discusses the effect of strategic defense on arms control.