Post Cold War Nuclear Weapons Policy

Abstract : Nuclear weapons have been a central element of the United States strategic arsenal since the time they were first developed during World War II. During the Cold War they prevented war with the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, U.S.S.R. and helped to defend Europe from Soviet aggression. The collapse of the U.S.S.R. and the end of the cold war has changed the balance of power in the world and caused the U.S. to reexamine its policy for the use of nuclear weapons. This paper examines U.S. policy options for nuclear weapons employment after the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the Cold War. After a brief overview of the Cold War era, it examines the problems of the present day by assessing the post Cold War actors who threaten stability, and by evaluating the threat posed by both present-day nuclear states and aspiring nuclear powers, and, finally, by evaluating the threat posed by chemical weapons. The essay argues the advantages of an ambiguous nuclear policy to maximize deterrence.