The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Why do states challenge and resist states with vastly superior nuclear arsenals? This seminar argues that these asymmetric nuclear situations create both motives and opportunities for frequent, low-level conflict among interstate rivals. The seminar uses data on nuclear asymmetry and conflict from 1945–2000 as well as an examination of Soviet decision-making during the early Cold War to assess this claim.
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.