ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the historical development of Raymond Aron's thought on nuclear weapons in relation to history and his own biography. It assesses the role of nuclear weapons in the framework of his theory of war, especially his assessment of the modification of classical patterns of international relations and strategy. The chapter explains Aron's specific "radar signature" and influence inside the French/transatlantic strategic debate of the Cold War. Aron's participation in the strategic debate after Penser la guerre can be found in his weekly commentary in L'Express, but also in Les Dernieres annees du siecle, a testament book, comparable in ambition to Spengler's Decisive Years, in which he attempts a retrospective intellectual assessment 20 years after the "Treaty". For Aron, two master ideas structure Clausewitz's theory: the principle of annihilation; and the supremacy of political rationality over the military instrument.
