POLSCI 1G06 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Arms Control, International Atomic Energy Agency, Great Power
7 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
The fact that the third world war did not happen is taken by some as sufficient proof that nuclear deterrence was effective. In many respects, this is a critical case for proponents of nuclear deterrence: kashmir is an indian state which pakistan claims it should belong to it, both states were nuclear armed, gone to war several times before. This was a case where it was least likely for nuclear deterrence theory to hold: Despite all these factors weighing against deterrence, and the fact that the conflict went right to the brink, in the end a full scale war was avoided. The possession of nuclear weapons means that the costs of aggression will always outweigh any benefits that aggression could bring. In general, then, if more states are armed with nuclear power, all states would have to be more cautious in their foreign policy.
