The Control Agenda: A History of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Contributor(s): Ambrose, Matthew J. (Author) |
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ISBN: 1501713744 ISBN-13: 9781501713743 Publisher: Cornell University Press OUR PRICE: $51.43 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: April 2018 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Political Science | International Relations - Arms Control - History | Military - Nuclear Warfare - History | United States - 20th Century |
Dewey: 327.174 |
LCCN: 2017028026 |
Physical Information: 0.75" H x 6" W x 9" (1.25 lbs) 282 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - 20th Century |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: The Control Agenda is a sweeping account of the history of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), their rise in the Nixon and Ford administrations, their downfall under President Carter, and their powerful legacies in the Reagan years and beyond. Matthew Ambrose pays close attention to the interplay of diplomacy, domestic politics, and technology, and finds that the SALT process was a key point of reference for arguments regarding all forms of Cold War decision making. Ambrose argues elite U.S. decision makers used SALT to better manage their restive domestic populations and to exert greater control over the shape, structure, and direction of their nuclear arsenals. Ambrose also asserts that prolonged engagement with arms control issues introduced dynamic effects into nuclear policy. Arms control considerations came to influence most areas of defense decision making, while the measure of stability SALT provided allowed the examination of new and potentially dangerous nuclear doctrines. The Control Agenda makes clear that verification and compliance concerns by the United States prompted continuous reassessments of Soviet capabilities and intentions; assessments that later undergirded key U.S. policy changes toward the Soviet Union. Through SALT's many twists and turns, accusations and countercharges, secret backchannels and propaganda campaigns the specter of nuclear conflict loomed large. |
Contributor Bio(s): Ambrose, Matthew J.: - Matthew Ambrose received a Ph.D. in history from The Ohio State University. He previously worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Historical Office, and is is currently a defense analyst for the Government Accountability Office. He lives with his family in Arlington, Virginia. |