Soviet Military Capabilities and Intentions in Europe.
Purchase Print Copy
| Format | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add to Cart | Paperback45 pages | $23.00 | $18.40 20% Web Discount |
This paper reviews various quantitative and qualitative factors that must be taken into account in appraising Soviet Bloc military capabilities and intentions vs. NATO. In addition to purely military considerations, detente and the MFR negotiations are among the important variables that may influence the way each side perceives and elects to deal with its security problems in Europe. The paper suggests that the most reasonable measurement of Soviet capabilities today lies somewhere between the older prudential view that Soviet theater forces could overrun Europe in a matter of days, and what might be called the newer revisionist view that Soviet capabilities have been greatly overrated. Regarding Soviet military intentions, which are contingent upon many unforeseeable circumstances, it is far less likely that the Soviets will launch a premeditated invasion of NATO Europe than that they will rely, as in the past, upon military power to sustain political influence in Western Europe and to ensure their hegemonial control over Eastern Europe. 45 pp.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation Paper series. The paper was a product of the RAND Corporation from 1948 to 2003 that captured speeches, memorials, and derivative research, usually prepared on authors' own time and meant to be the scholarly or scientific contribution of individual authors to their professional fields. Papers were less formal than reports and did not require rigorous peer review.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.