U.S. Unilateral Arms Control Initiatives: When Do They Work? (Contributions in Military Studies)

The question has been continuously debated since the 1950s: Should unilateral arms control initiatives be treated as essential steps toward world peace or as the product of wishful thinking that is in fact dangerous to our national security? Rose explores the problem through an analysis of Soviet responses to past American initiatives, where the U.S. exercised restraint in weapons testing, production, or deployment in attempts to obtain reciprocal Soviet restraint. In comparative case studies of six U.S. arms initiatives--some of which succeeded and some of which failed--he tests and evaluates a series of hypotheses about the conditions that may favor the success of such initiatives. After outlining the major features of the arms control controversy, Rose surveys the theoretical literature to identify factors that may favor successful initiatives. These include aspects of the bargaining process; cost-benefit calculations about the military, political, and economic consequences of reciprocating an initiative; and other elements in the domestic and international environment that may effect the outcome of bargaining. The factors that are influenced by the domestic nature or international situation of the Soviet Union are examined in detail.William Rose is the author of 'U.S. Unilateral Arms Control Initiatives: When Do They Work? (Contributions in Military Studies)', published 1988 under ISBN 9780313257872 and ISBN 0313257876.