deterrence | political and military strategy | Britannica

deterrence, military strategy under which one power uses the threat of reprisal effectively to preclude an attack from an adversary power. deterrence Sections Article Introduction&QuickFacts FastFacts RelatedContent AdditionalInfo MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory Home Politics,Law&Government InternationalRelations deterrence politicalandmilitarystrategy Print Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/deterrence-political-and-military-strategy More GiveFeedback Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites By TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannica | ViewEditHistory FastFacts RelatedContent RelatedTopics: mutualassureddestruction countervaluetargeting securesecondstrike foreignpolicy nucleardeterrence ...(Showmore) Seeallfactsanddata→ deterrence,militarystrategyunderwhichonepowerusesthethreatofreprisaleffectivelytoprecludeanattackfromanadversarypower.Withtheadventofnuclearweapons,thetermdeterrencelargelyhasbeenappliedtothebasicstrategyofthenuclearpowersandofthemajoralliancesystems.Thepremiseofthestrategyisthateachnuclearpowermaintainsahighlevelofinstantandoverwhelmingdestructivecapabilityagainstanyaggression—i.e.,theability,visibleandcredibletoawould-beattacker,toinflictunacceptabledamageupontheattackerwithforcesthatsurviveasurpriseattack.Anessentialelementinsuccessfuldeterrenceisadegreeofuncertaintyonthepartofawould-beaggressorastowhetherthetargetpower,althoughattackedandbadlydamaged,willnonethelessretaliate—evenattheriskofsufferingfurther,cripplingdamageinasecondattack.Thus,nuclear-deterrencestrategyreliesontwobasicconditions:theabilitytoretaliateafterasurpriseattackmustbeperceivedascredible;andthewilltoretaliatemustbeperceivedasapossibility,thoughnotnecessarilyasacertainty. LearnMoreintheserelatedBritannicaarticles: defenseeconomics:Defenseexpenditure:thecostofdeterrence Aswarisexpensive,countriesaimtoavoiditscostsandremainindependentwithinsovereignborders.Intheabsenceofauniversallybindingandverifiableagreementtoabolishwar,thebestoptionistodeterthosecountriesprone,bytheirhistoryorbythe… internationalrelations:Scholarshipandpolicy DuringtheColdWar,deterrencetheoriesdevelopedintheciviliansector,oftenbyacademicspecialists,becametheessentialbasisforstrategicnuclearplanning.Thetheoreticalandoperationalaspectsofdeterrencereceivedrenewedattentionfrombothscholarsandpolicymakersasnewactorsandnewweaponsofmassdestructionarose… internationalrelations:Betweenthetwoworldwars …ledtoextensivewritingsondeterrenceasabasisofstrategicstability.BernardBrodie’streatiseonnucleardeterrencewashighlyinfluential,aswastheworkofHermanKahn,GlennSnyder,ThomasC.Schelling,HenryA.Kissinger,andAlbertWohlstetter.Otherissuesthatwereaddressedinthevastliteratureof… Historyatyourfingertips SignupheretoseewhathappenedOnThisDay,everydayinyourinbox! Emailaddress Bysigningup,youagreetoourPrivacyNotice. Thankyouforsubscribing! BeonthelookoutforyourBritannicanewslettertogettrustedstoriesdeliveredrighttoyourinbox.