In his new book The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy, Matthew Kroenig challenges the conventional wisdom on the sufficiency of a survivable force for deterrence, and explains why a robust nuclear posture, above and beyond a mere second-strike capability, contributes to a state's national security goals. In fact, when a state has a robust nuclear weapons force, such a capability reduces its expected costs in a war, provides it with bargaining leverage, and ultimately enhances nuclear deterrence. As Prof. Kroenig will explain in this seminar, the book provides a novel theoretical explanation for why military nuclear advantages translate into geopolitical advantages.
Matthew Kroenig is an associate professor of government and foreign service at Georgetown University and the deputy director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council. He previously served in several positions in the US government, including in the Strategy office in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Strategic Assessments Group at the Central Intelligence Agency. He regularly consults with a range of US government entities. He is the author or editor of six books, including The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy (Oxford University Press, 2018), and his articles and opinion pieces have appeared in American Political Science Review, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, International Organization, Politico, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and many other outlets. He previously worked as a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard University, and Stanford University. Dr. Kroenig provides regular commentary for major media outlets, including PBS, NPR, BBC, CNN, and C-SPAN. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and holds an MA and PhD in political science from the University of California at Berkeley. Follow him on Twitter @kroenig.
