Journal Article - Quarterly Journal: International Security

Arms Control as Wedge Strategy: How Arms Limitation Deals Divide Alliances

| Fall 2021

Summary

Motives for strategic arms control are conventionally framed in terms of their potential to enhance stability by limiting certain weapons, avoiding costly arms races, or preserving military advantage. But states can also use strategic arms control to divide adversaries. Wedge strategy theory explains how arms control can do so by influencing threat perceptions, trust, and beliefs about a commitments’ trade-offs. Three landmark strategic arms control negotiations show how the wedge motive informed these negotiations and influenced great power relations.

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For more information on this publication: Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation:

Timothy W. Crawford and Khang X. Vu, "Arms Control as Wedge Strategy: How Arms Limitation Deals Divide Alliances," International Security, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Fall 2021), pp. 91–129, doi.org/10.1162/isec_a_00420.

The Authors

Khang Vu

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