War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Robert C. Richardson, 1986
Description:
Robert C. Richardson, III was a U.S. Air Force General whose areas of expertise from the 1950s to 1970s included tactical nuclear combat, long-range planning, and NATO issues. The interview covers each of those broad areas. One of the central questions is the impact of nuclear weapons on warfare. In addition, he discusses the idea behind the Lisbon Force Goals of 1952 and the underlying choice NATO members faced between expanding conventional forces and relying on nuclear weapons, which were largely untested at that point. He also explains the rapid growth in tactical warhead numbers in Europe over the next several years. Among other Europe-related topics, he covers the Multilateral Force, France's decision to leave NATO, and the failure of the European Defense Community. He makes the intriguing remark that the best planning for nuclear war was done before its impact was understood by the military bureaucracies. He also laments the difficulties of coordination among the services and explains the complexities of dealing with the impact of nuclear weapons on force posture.
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