The US Army and Nuclear Deterrence, 1955 – 1991: A European Historical Context

August 2018 No Comments

“The US Army and Nuclear Deterrence, 1955 – 1991: A European Historical Context”

Speaker: Dorondo, D. (Western Carolina University)

Date: 16 August 2018

Speaker Session Preview

SMA hosted a speaker session presented by Dr. David Dorondo (Western Carolina University) as a part of its SMA STRATCOM Academic Alliance Speaker Series. Dr. Dorondo began his presentation by stating that the release of the 2018 US Nuclear Posture Review triggered discussions about the capability of US nuclear forces to respond to non-nuclear strategic attacks. He then provided a historical context for US engagement in nuclear deterrence activities in Europe from 1955-1991. He highlighted the disparity between the celebration of US deterrence efforts for the 10 years following World War II and the division of Europe in 1955 due to the expanding Soviet Empire. He also spoke about the nuclear deterrence pyramid, which illustrates high, medium, and low range nuclear deterrence capabilities developed for situations involving anywhere from flexible response to massive retaliation. Dr. Dorondo concluded his presentation by highlighting the role of the US Army in contributing to nuclear deterrent forces in Europe and offering his final conclusions.