3 Events

A Chinese man is framed by the remains of the Yalu River Broken Bridge which was bombed by U.S. forces during the Korean War near Dandong, China, Oct. 19, 2006. On Oct. 19, 1950, China sent hundreds of thousands of "volunteers" to the aid of North Korea.

AP Photo

Seminar - Open to the Public

Who's Afraid of the Bomb? Why States Fight Nuclear Opponents

Wed., Mar. 27, 2013 | 10:00am - 11:30am

Littauer Building - Belfer Center Library, Room 369

This presentation asks why states without nuclear weapons fight opponents with nuclear weapons. The presentation critically examines the claim that states believe opponents will not use nuclear weapons in conflict.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.

The seats of the U.S. delegation are vacant during the ceremony marking the entry into force of the Ottawa Convention on the prohibition of landmines at Geneva, Switzerland, on Mar. 1, 1999. The U.S. did not sign or ratify the convention.

AP Photo

Seminar - Open to the Public

Big Sticks and Contested Carrots: A Theory of International Security Institutions

Thu., Mar. 11, 2010 | 12:15pm - 2:00pm

Littauer Building - Belfer Center Library, Room 369

Why are some regulatory arrangements such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and Landmines Convention weak, while others like the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) more robust? In this seminar, the speaker suggests that while states negotiate institutions for a variety of purposes, only those institutions built by powerful states to regulate the behavior of weaker states are likely to be strong and effective in changing state behavior. The speaker tests his theory with a brief overview of security institutions in different issue areas selecting cases to provide variation in institutional strength — spread of nuclear weapons, use of land mines, use of force in post–Cold War Europe (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and missile defense during the Cold War (ABM Treaty).

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.