ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the revisits the 1983 'war scare' episode by: reviews high water marks in political context leading up to the 1983 'war scare' situation. It considers quantitative evidence on US and Soviet strategic nuclear force structures and possible operational performances, and derives from analysis, 'war scare' of 1983 and its wider significance for nuclear deterrence and crisis management. Between 1979 and 1983, relations between the United States (US) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Soviet Union deteriorated gradually due to disagreements and controversies growing out of Cold War rivalry. In December 1979 NATO took a decision to modernize its intermediate nuclear missile force (INF) by deploying 572 new cruise and ballistic missiles in five European countries beginning in November 1983. On March 23, 1983 President Ronald Reagan surprised many of his own advisors as well as American listeners with his proposal for Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), rapidly dubbed 'Star Wars' by media pundits and critics.
