War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Paul Nitze, 1988
Description:
Paul Nitze held senior government posts that spanned nearly a half-century and nine presidents, from Harry S. Truman to Ronald Reagan. In the interview Nitze conducted for War and Peace in the Nuclear Age: "Visions of War and Peace," he discusses the purpose of arms control and his conclusions: that the United States and the Soviet Union must both be willing to settle for deterrence, and that to lessen the risk of war, reductions must have a "stabilizing" impact. Throughout the Cold War, Nitze was key in shaping U.S. attitudes toward Soviet intentions and capabilities. He recalls the shock of touring Hiroshima and Nagasaki just after World War II, when he was serving with the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey. He and his team conducted extensive interviews and data analysis to recommend a framework for post-war military organization. Nitze also served as secretary of the navy (1963 to 1967); deputy secretary of defense (1967 to 1969); principal negotiator for the U.S. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (1969 to 1973); head of the U.S. negotiating team at the Arms Control Talks, in Geneva (1981 to 1984); and ambassador-at-large (1984 to 1989). In his interview, he reflects on his analyses of the necessary levels and the proper mix of military forces both conventional and nuclear. He also highlights the immense effort needed to sustain preparedness in order to maintain security into the future. Known for his aggressive style and keen analytical abilities, Nitze describes the principles he used to guide crisis contingency planning throughout his career, the effectiveness of deterrence in preserving peace and liberty, and his approach to arms-control diplomacy as a way to attain U.S. strategic goals.
