Exploring the Effectiveness of Nuclear Deterrence: A Comparative Analysis of the Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Russia-Ukraine Conflict through the Lens of Rational Nuclear Deterrence, the Nuclear Taboo, Self-Deterrence, and Atomic Anxiety Theories

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dc.contributor.advisorDoyle, Thomas
dc.contributor.authorHolland, Aaron
dc.contributor.committeeMemberPopescu, Ionut
dc.contributor.committeeMemberKroeger, Alex
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-08T13:25:53Z
dc.date.available2023-05-08T13:25:53Z
dc.date.issued2023-05
dc.description.abstractThis research project aims to explore the effectiveness of nuclear deterrence by analyzing three case studies - the Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Russia-Ukraine conflict - through the lens of four theories of nuclear weapons non-use: rational nuclear deterrence, the nuclear taboo, self-deterrence, and atomic anxiety. The central research question is whether nuclear weapons actually deter conflicts, with four possible answers: nuclear weapons deter, deter most of the time but not every time, deter only sometimes, or have not deterred at all. The hypothesis of this paper is that the theory of self-deterrence best explains nuclear weapons non-use in the three case studies and that nuclear weapons only deter sometimes. The four theories of nuclear weapons non-use provide a theoretical framework for evaluating the effectiveness of nuclear deterrence and help explain why nuclear weapons have not been used more frequently in international conflicts. Ultimately, this research project has far-reaching implications for global security and seeks to contribute to the ongoing debate on nuclear weapons and their place in international relations.
dc.description.departmentPolitical Science
dc.formatText
dc.format.extent75 pages
dc.format.medium1 file (.pdf)
dc.identifier.citationHolland, A. (2023). Exploring the effectiveness of nuclear deterrence: A comparative analysis of the Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Russia-Ukraine Conflict through the lens of rational nuclear deterrence, the nuclear taboo, self-deterrence, and atomic anxiety theories (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/16726
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectnuclear deterrence
dc.subjectnuclear taboo
dc.subjectrational deterrence theory
dc.subjectself-deterrence
dc.subjectatomic anxiety
dc.subjectKorean War
dc.subjectCuban Missile Crisis
dc.subjectRussia-Ukraine conflict
dc.titleExploring the Effectiveness of Nuclear Deterrence: A Comparative Analysis of the Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Russia-Ukraine Conflict through the Lens of Rational Nuclear Deterrence, the Nuclear Taboo, Self-Deterrence, and Atomic Anxiety Theories
dc.typeThesis
thesis.degree.departmentPolitical Science
thesis.degree.disciplinePolitical Science
thesis.degree.grantorTexas State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts

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