| ID | 096797 |
| Title Proper | Soviet Union and the cold war |
| Other Title Information | assessing the technological dimension |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Bluth, Christoph |
| Publication | 2010. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The military competition engendered by the Cold War provoked rapid and sustained innovation in military technology. New information that has become available since the end of the Cold War permits a detailed reassessment of technical capabilities and developments in the Soviet Union, both with respect to strategic nuclear forces and to conventional weapons. This article shows that initially Soviet capabilities were subject to severe technical weaknesses that imposed major constraints on strategic options, but these were largely overcome by the 1980s. If the Soviet Union can be said to have lost the arms race, it was with respect to conventional technology. The article shows how in the perception of Soviet military planners the balance of power in Europe shifted against the Warsaw Pact in the 1980s. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Slavic Military Studies Vol. 23, No. 2; Apr-Jun 2010: p282-305 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Slavic Military Studies Vol. 23, No. 2; Apr-Jun 2010: p282-305 |
| Key Words | Soviet Union ; Cold War ; Technology ; Military Industry ; Nuclear Confrontation ; Nuclear Strategy |