NATO Strategy and Nuclear Defense

The central problem discussed in this timely volume is the continuing question of how to incorporate nuclear weapons into NATO strategy in such a way that the military defense posture possesses sufficient credibility to deter the Soviet Union and reassure the allies. The evolution and differences in the strategic concepts of the major nations in the Alliance are analyzed by examining the character of the opposing military capabilities and some of the practical problems of fighting a local nuclear battle, a doctrine of nuclear constraints is proposed that would make the nature and purpose of employing tactical nuclear weapons more distinguishable, thus hopefully lessening miscalculation that might lead to escalation to general nuclear war. This is the first comprehensive conceptual analysis of a nuclear doctrine for actually fighting a land battle in Europe.