The Dilemma of NATO Strategy, 1949-1968

The Dilemma of NATO Strategy, 1949-1968

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Davis, Robert Thomas, II
Language:English
Published: Ohio University / OhioLINK 2008
Subjects:
European History
NATO
Strategy
Cold War
Nuclear
Military Planning
Online Access:http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1213197004
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spelling ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-ohiou12131970042021-08-03T05:45:41Z The Dilemma of NATO Strategy, 1949-1968 Davis, Robert Thomas, II European History NATO Strategy Cold War Nuclear Military Planning This study is a reappraisal of the strategic dilemma of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the Cold War. This dilemma revolves around the problem of articulating a strategic concept for a military alliance in the nuclear era. NATO was born of a perceived need to defend Western Europe from a Soviet onslaught. It was an imperative of the early alliance to develop a military strategy and force posture to defend Western Europe should such a war break out. It was not long after the first iteration of strategy took shape than the imperative for a military defense of Europe receded under the looming threat of thermonuclear war. The advent of thermonuclear arsenals in both the United States and Soviet Union brought with it the potential destruction of civilization should war break out. This realization made statesmen on both sides of the Iron Curtain undergo what has been referred to as an ongoing process of nuclear learning. This led to deterrence, rather than defense, being the priority for both the NATO allies and the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact. But fundamental tensions remained, and a need for military strategies seemed to remain. The problem was to then gauge how important conventional forces, tactical nuclear weapons, and strategic nuclear forces were to determine force postures that provided the most effective combination of deterrence and defense. 2008-09-25 English text Ohio University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1213197004 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1213197004 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection NDLTD
language English
sources NDLTD
topic European History
NATO
Strategy
Cold War
Nuclear
Military Planning
spellingShingle European History
NATO
Strategy
Cold War
Nuclear
Military Planning
Davis, Robert Thomas, II
The Dilemma of NATO Strategy, 1949-1968
author Davis, Robert Thomas, II
author_facet Davis, Robert Thomas, II
author_sort Davis, Robert Thomas, II
title The Dilemma of NATO Strategy, 1949-1968
title_short The Dilemma of NATO Strategy, 1949-1968
title_full The Dilemma of NATO Strategy, 1949-1968
title_fullStr The Dilemma of NATO Strategy, 1949-1968
title_full_unstemmed The Dilemma of NATO Strategy, 1949-1968
title_sort dilemma of nato strategy, 1949-1968
publisher Ohio University / OhioLINK
publishDate 2008
url http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1213197004
work_keys_str_mv AT davisrobertthomasii thedilemmaofnatostrategy19491968
AT davisrobertthomasii dilemmaofnatostrategy19491968
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