window-of-opportunity
A period in the early 1980s when the USSR held a strategic nuclear advantage, potentially enabling it to exert political pressure or consider first-strike options.
1 chapter across 1 book
The Third World War: The Untold Story (1982)Sir John Hackett
Chapter 4 of 'The Third World War: The Untold Story' details the nuclear arms race and strategic balance between the USA and USSR in the 1970s and early 1980s, highlighting the Soviet achievement of nuclear parity and the ensuing arms control negotiations. It explores the technological advancements in nuclear arsenals, the strategic doctrines of mutual assured destruction versus first-strike capability, and the resulting political tensions within NATO, especially concerning theatre nuclear forces in Europe. The chapter also discusses the Soviet exploitation of Western unease over nuclear weapons and the impact of NATO's missile deployment decisions on alliance cohesion and East-West relations.