Nuclear Weapons in the Information Age

by Cimbala, Stephen J.

• ISBN13: 9781441126849
• ISBN10: 1441126848
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-02-02
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

In today's information age, the coexistence of nuclear weapons with advanced conventional weapons and information-based concepts of warfare is a military contradiction. Nuclear deterrence was initially predicated on geopolitical, military, and technical assumptions. These were based on Cold War politics, rational deterrence theory, the concept of mutual vulnerability, and the fact that information and technology diffusion were limited. Today, however, far from being obsolete, nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction have not only survived, but have become weapons for states that face security threats, including perceived threats of nuclear blackmail, or expectation of conflicts. This study focuses on this unplanned coexistence of two distinct arts of war, including the possibility that states like the U.S. may be held hostage to nuclear blackmail by "outlier" regimes or terrorists, such as North Korea. It shows that restricting nuclear proliferation should still be on the agenda of policymakers, and calls for a revitalized global nonproliferation regime.

Author Biography

Stephen J. Cimbala is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Penn State Brandywine, USA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgment	p. vi
Introduction	p. 1
Alternative nuclear regimes	p. 15
Cyberwar and nuclear crisis management	p. 45
Geography and nuclear arms control	p. 67
Nuclear abolition: Holy grail or dangerous temptation?	p. 101
After the loving: New START and beyond	p. 129
Nuclear threat and North Korea: Dangers and options	p. 143
Nuclear "first use" and European peace: A risky bargain?	p. 161
Minimum deterrence and missile defenses: Congruent paths or competitive designs?	p. 183
Conclusion	p. 205
Bibliography	p. 219
Index	p. 231
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