Thinking About Nuclear Weapons : Principles, Problems, Prospects

The Book Reflects The Author's Experience Across More Than Forty Years In Assessing And Forming Policy About Nuclear Weapons, Mostly At Senior Levels Close To The Centre Both Of British Governmental Decision-making And Of Nato's Development Of Plans And Deployments, With Much Interaction Also With Comparable Levels Of United States Activity In The Pentagon And The State Department. Part I Of The Book Seeks To Distill, From This Exceptional Background Of Practical Experience, Basic Conceptual Ways Of Understanding The Revolution Brought About By Nuclear Weapons. It Also Surveys Nato's Progressive Development Of Thinking About Nuclear Deterrence, And Then Discusses The Deep Moral Dilemmas Posed - For All Possible Standpoints - By The Existence Of Such Weapons. Part Ii Considers The Risks And Costs Of Nuclear-weapon Possession, Including Proliferation Dangers, And Looks At Both Successful And Unsuccessful Ideas About How To Manage Them. Part Iii Illustrates Specific Issues By Reviewing The History And Current Policies Of One Long-established Possessor, The United Kingdom, And Two More Recent Ones, India And Pakistan. Part Iv Turns To The Future, Examines The Goal Of Eventually Abolishing All Nuclear Armouries, And Then Discusses The Practical Agenda, Short Of Such A Goal, Which Governments Can Usefully Tackle In Reducing The Risks Of Proliferation And Other Dangers While Not Surrendering Prematurely The War-prevention Benefits Which Nuclear Weapons Have Brought Since 1945. -- From Publisher Description. Part I: The Significance Of Nuclear Weapons. The Nuclear Revolution -- The Tools Of Thinking -- Deterrence -- Nuclear Deterrence In Nato -- The Ethics Of Nuclear Weapons -- -- Part Ii: Managing Nuclear Weapons. Risks -- Proliferation -- Arms Racing, Costs, And Arms Control -- Easements And Escape Routes -- -- Part Iii: National Nuclear-weapon Postures And Policies: Britain, India, Pakistan. United Kingdom Doctrine And Policy -- Nuclear Weapons In South Asia -- -- Part Iv: The Path Ahead. The Abolition Of Nuclear Armouries? -- The Practical Agenda. Michael Quinlan. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. ## Abstract This book reflects the author's experience across more than forty years in assessing and helping to shape policy about nuclear weapons, mostly at senior levels close to the centre both of British governmental decision-making and of NATO's development of plans and deployments, with much interaction also with comparable levels of United States activity in the Pentagon and the State Department. From this exceptional background of practical experience Part I of this book seeks to distill basic conceptual ways of understanding the nuclear revolution—the transformation brought about by the existence of nuclear weapons, and their significance in preventing major war. It also surveys NATO's progressive development of thinking about nuclear deterrence, and then discusses the deep moral dilemmas posed—for all possible standpoints—by the existence of such weapons. Part II considers the risks and costs of nuclear-weapon possession, including proliferation dangers, and looks at both successful and unsuccessful ideas for risk-management. Part III illustrates specific issues by reviewing the history and current policies of one long-established possessor, the United Kingdom, and two more recent ones in South Asia. Part IV turns to the future, examines the goal of the eventual abolition of all nuclear armouries, and then discusses the practical agenda, short of such a goal, which governments can usefully tackle in reducing the risks of proliferation and other dangers while not surrendering prematurely the war-prevention benefits which nuclear weapons have brought since 1945. The book reflects the author's experience across more than forty years in assessing and forming policy about nuclear weapons, mostly at senior levels close to the centre both of British governmental decision-making and of NATO's development of plans and deployments, with much interaction also with comparable levels of United States activity in the Pentagon and the State department. Part I of the book seeks to distill, from this exceptional background of practical experience, basic conceptual ways of understanding the revolution brought about by nuclear weapons. It also surveys NATO's progressive development of thinking about nuclear deterrence, and then discusses the deep moral dilemmas posed - for all possible standpoints - by the existence of such weapons. Part II considers the risks and costs of nuclear-weapon possession, including proliferation dangers, and looks at both successful and unsuccessful ideas about how to manage them. Part III illustrates specific issues by reviewing the history and current policies of one long-established possessor, the United Kingdom, and two more recent ones, India and Pakistan. Part IV turns to the future, examines the goal of eventually abolishing all nuclear armouries, and then discusses the practical agenda, short of such a goal, which governments can usefully tackle in reducing the risks of proliferation and other dangers while not surrendering prematurely the war-prevention benefits which nuclear weapons have brought since 1945. This book is a project of the Oxford Leverhulme Programme on the Changing Character of War. Written by a distinguished policy practitioner in the field of nuclear weapons, this book reflects an exceptional depth of experience in shaping both national and NATO policy. It discusses the significance of the revolution brought about by nuclear weapons, and then considers the problems, costs, and risks which they entail