POLI 244 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Security Dilemma, Andor Technology
6 Oct 2016
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The defensive use of force, purpose : Adversary"s victory is made less likely and more costly: employment. Active: repellent (second) strikes, offensive (first) strikes. Launching the first strike : you are trying to protect youself: the deterrent use of force, purpose. Dissuade an adversary from attacking: means. Credible threat of retaliation with unacceptable damage: employment. * necessary when dissuasion by defensive forces is weak. Deterrence : you did not have to use your weapons -> deterrence is really hard to prove because if it worked, there is nothing to observe. Nuclear weapons : perfect example of deterrent capabilities -> their use : deter enemy"s attack. If you have a first strike capacity you can launch a nuclear war. But if someone strike a nuclear war first, > if your nuclear forces can be destroyed during the first strike : you don"t have second strike capability. Useful because they will make your threat of retaliation credible.
