ABSTRACT
The Free World’s monopoly of nuclear technology had been broken. Discovery of a Soviet nuclear capability provided the stimulus for the Army to increase efforts aimed at an atomic doctrine. The abrupt deemphasis in nuclear weapon instruction and nuclear doctrinal development that began in the early 1960s and continued throughout the decade is traceable to the national military strategy of the nation. The role of nuclear weapons in support of defensive operations was to provide for mutual support and flexibility throughout the conduct of the defense. The destructive effects of nuclear weapons increase the tempo of tactical nuclear operations. Engagements will be short and violent. Army doctrine addressing the nuclear battlefield would seem to be concerned with answering how the Army can best fight and survive in order to accomplish its mission rather than become entangled in political debates. The manual was characterized by vague generalities and considerations and thus left much to be interpreted rather than practiced and tested.
