ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the evolution of Soviet thinking about military policy and the role of nuclear weapons. It provides an overview of what Soviet literature has said about these issues and speculates on the possible implications of future changes in the international environment for Soviet thinking about security policy, including the utility of nuclear forces. The chapter concentrates on the world as it has taken shape since the events of November 1989, whereas the first focuses on the Mikhail Gorbachev period to that point. Gorbachev has distinguished his leadership from that of previous Soviet leaders by allowing military doctrine—as well as all other elements of Soviet life—to become subject to debate. An impetus for rethinking parity at the strategic nuclear level came from the imperative of the Nineteenth Party Conference to develop the Soviet armed forces according to "qualitative parameters."
