Nuclear Deterrence, Strategy, and Arms Control

Course Description

How have nuclear weapons shaped the ways states pursue their national security goals? Why have efforts to limit nuclear competition though arms control agreements been challenging despite the potential benefits of mutual restraint? This course will first cover concepts in nuclear deterrence, paired with empirical examples from Cold War planning, shifts during the post-Cold War period, and emerging trends today. In addition to U.S. nuclear strategy, the course will also consider the strategies and postures of other nuclear powers, particularly China and Russia. The second half of the course will unpack the logic, design, and implementation of arms control agreements. The focus will be on the role of information and technology as drivers of cooperation, as well as the connections between deterrence and arms control policy. Throughout, the course will challenge students use existing theory and past cases to grapple with key contemporary questions, including deterrence in world with three near-peer nuclear powers, prospects for arms control under highly competitive conditions, and the utility of nuclear models for thinking about how to use today’s emerging technologies for national security while also managing competition over new military capabilities.

Code

SA.502.188

Credits

4

Subject

Security, Strategy and Statecraft