Overview
How did the initial discoveries in the field of atomic energy materialize decades later in weapons of previously unknown power? How did we go from a “conventional superweapon” to a ‘political’ weapon, whose aim is to prevent a potential state aggressor from carrying out an act, to “dissuade” him? What have been the challenges posed by the spread of nuclear weapons around the world, and by the non-proliferation regime? What about the reality of nuclear disarmament? Can we draw up a typology of “nuclear crises”?
These are just some of the questions that will be addressed in this course, which aims to put the history of nuclear deterrence in international relations into perspective, from its origins to the present day. This will involve dating and defining the concept of “deterrence”, and studying its contribution to defense and security policies over more than seven decades. The approach will be both thematic and chronological, ranging from the 1930s to the Cold War, then to the post-Cold War period up to the current conflict in Ukraine. Particular attention will be paid to the history of France’s nuclear defense policy, and to the interactions between strategic debate and domestic politics.