Military Exercises and the Dangers of Misunderstandings: the East-West Crisis of the Early 1980s

This article analyzes the risks of mutual misunderstanding caused by NATO and the Warsaw Treaty Organization (WTO) large-scale military command-and-staff exercises in 1983. The problem of mutual misunderstanding is analyzed in the context of the classic «Security Dilemma» elaborated in 1951 by J. Ge...

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Main Author: B Heuser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2016-12-01
Series:Vestnik RUDN. International Relations
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/view/14758
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author B Heuser
author_facet B Heuser
author_sort B Heuser
collection DOAJ
description This article analyzes the risks of mutual misunderstanding caused by NATO and the Warsaw Treaty Organization (WTO) large-scale military command-and-staff exercises in 1983. The problem of mutual misunderstanding is analyzed in the context of the classic «Security Dilemma» elaborated in 1951 by J. Gertz and adapted to military exercise issues by D. Adamski. In spite of all the available knowledge, analysis, intelligence and other forms of communication between the West and the East, a problem of mutual misunderstanding appeared between two blocs. This was highlighted during the command and staff exercises of the NATO countries «Able Archer 83» when the world was put on the brink of nuclear war. Given that the Western countries have considered exercises as a deterrence of possible attack by the WTO, the Eastern Bloc countries considered such activities directly threatening their military security. According to the author, these were military exercise carried out by both sides, which represented the most important factor of the sharp deterioration in relations between the West and the East in the early 1980s following the period of détente in the 1970s. The article is based on a large empirical data, archives data, personal interviews by the author of the participants of these events.
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spelling doaj.art-095de6b5a8834218b5051992d8f4fa662023-09-02T17:15:17ZengPeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)Vestnik RUDN. International Relations2313-06602313-06792016-12-0116339140414440Military Exercises and the Dangers of Misunderstandings: the East-West Crisis of the Early 1980sB Heuser0<p>Университет Рединга</p>This article analyzes the risks of mutual misunderstanding caused by NATO and the Warsaw Treaty Organization (WTO) large-scale military command-and-staff exercises in 1983. The problem of mutual misunderstanding is analyzed in the context of the classic «Security Dilemma» elaborated in 1951 by J. Gertz and adapted to military exercise issues by D. Adamski. In spite of all the available knowledge, analysis, intelligence and other forms of communication between the West and the East, a problem of mutual misunderstanding appeared between two blocs. This was highlighted during the command and staff exercises of the NATO countries «Able Archer 83» when the world was put on the brink of nuclear war. Given that the Western countries have considered exercises as a deterrence of possible attack by the WTO, the Eastern Bloc countries considered such activities directly threatening their military security. According to the author, these were military exercise carried out by both sides, which represented the most important factor of the sharp deterioration in relations between the West and the East in the early 1980s following the period of détente in the 1970s. The article is based on a large empirical data, archives data, personal interviews by the author of the participants of these events.http://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/view/14758СССРОВДНАТОСШАхолодная война«дилемма безопасности»военные учениякомандно-штабные учениянедопониманиеугроза ядерной войны
spellingShingle B Heuser
Military Exercises and the Dangers of Misunderstandings: the East-West Crisis of the Early 1980s
Vestnik RUDN. International Relations
СССР
ОВД
НАТО
США
холодная война
«дилемма безопасности»
военные учения
командно-штабные учения
недопонимание
угроза ядерной войны
title Military Exercises and the Dangers of Misunderstandings: the East-West Crisis of the Early 1980s
title_full Military Exercises and the Dangers of Misunderstandings: the East-West Crisis of the Early 1980s
title_fullStr Military Exercises and the Dangers of Misunderstandings: the East-West Crisis of the Early 1980s
title_full_unstemmed Military Exercises and the Dangers of Misunderstandings: the East-West Crisis of the Early 1980s
title_short Military Exercises and the Dangers of Misunderstandings: the East-West Crisis of the Early 1980s
title_sort military exercises and the dangers of misunderstandings the east west crisis of the early 1980s
topic СССР
ОВД
НАТО
США
холодная война
«дилемма безопасности»
военные учения
командно-штабные учения
недопонимание
угроза ядерной войны
url http://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/view/14758
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