PSCI281 Lecture Notes - Flexible Response, Mutual Assured Destruction, Nuclear Proliferation

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Political Science
• Course: PSCI281
• Professor: Veronica Kitchen

Document Summary

Mutually assured destruction: a nuclear weapons doctrine based on mutual vulnerability. Each side in the conflict is protected so long as each is equally vulnerable. In a nuclear confrontation, both sides would strike, and therefore both would be destroyed. Second strike capability: the capacity to survive a nuclear attack and respond to it. Mad does not function if both sides do not have second strike capability. Deterrence: mad creates deterrence; there is no incentive to strike. Deterrence rests on 3 cs: capability, credibility, communication. Massive retaliation: nuclear strategy based on massive nuclear response to any threat, conventional or nuclear. Flexible response: nuclear strategy in which an attack may be responded to with conventional weapons, a limited nuclear strike, or massive retaliation. Decoupling: the fear that a strategy of massive retaliation disconnected the united states from its allies. Because it was not credible that the united states would sacrifice new york to save berlin.