National Security Policy, 1969-1972This volume documents U.S. national security policy in the context of the Vietnam War and the changing Cold War strategic balance between the United States and the Soviet Union. When President Richard Nixon assumed office in January 1969, he was confronted with the fact that the United States no longer held commanding military superiority over its superpower rival. Since the end of his stint as Vice President in 1961, the Soviets had achieved a rough strategic parity that left the United States with "significant vulnerabilities" vis-à-vis the USSR. This work documents the Nixon administration's efforts to grapple with this new strategic situation and provides coverage of the following: The administration's review of U.S. nuclear and general purpose forces and strategic doctri≠ its attempts to ascertain the level of technological sophistication achieved by the Soviet missile program; and its decision to deploy Safeguard, a modified anti-ballistic missile system. The page contained in this volume also examines chemical and biological weapons policy; U.S. nuclear policy in Asia; the evolution of the administration's strategic priorities in light of an ever-shrinking defense budget; and the transition from military conscription to an all-volunteer armed force. Additionally, it provides previously unreleased material regarding the October 1969 Joint Chiefs of Staff Readiness Test, in which Nixon secretly placed on alert portions of the United States military, including its nuclear forces. Throughout this comprehensive and historical volume, a consistent theme is the relationship between military strength and diplomatic strength; in particular, the importance of military might--real or perceived--to the United States' ability to maintain credibility in the eyes of allies and adversaries alike. |
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Page v
... declassification review ( in italic type ) . The amount and , where possible , the nature of the material not declassified has been noted by indicating the number of lines or pages of text that were omitted . En- tire documents withheld ...
... declassification review ( in italic type ) . The amount and , where possible , the nature of the material not declassified has been noted by indicating the number of lines or pages of text that were omitted . En- tire documents withheld ...
Page 17
... line not declassified ] . Would protect important target area , not nation - wide estimate . 1 Source : National Archives , Nixon Presidential Materials , NSC Files , NSC Institu- tional Files ( H - Files ) , Box H - 20 , NSC Meeting ...
... line not declassified ] . Would protect important target area , not nation - wide estimate . 1 Source : National Archives , Nixon Presidential Materials , NSC Files , NSC Institu- tional Files ( H - Files ) , Box H - 20 , NSC Meeting ...
Page 89
... lines not declassified ] The advantage of this tech- nique is in effect to extend the radius of effectiveness of ballistic mis- sile defense systems . We plan to use this technique in an advanced ver- sion of our own Spartan missile ...
... lines not declassified ] The advantage of this tech- nique is in effect to extend the radius of effectiveness of ballistic mis- sile defense systems . We plan to use this technique in an advanced ver- sion of our own Spartan missile ...
Page 94
... line not declassified ] indicates no significant difference in any of the tests other than the trajectories that were flown . It has been determined that the system consists of three identical reentry vehicles capable of delivering ...
... line not declassified ] indicates no significant difference in any of the tests other than the trajectories that were flown . It has been determined that the system consists of three identical reentry vehicles capable of delivering ...
Page 140
... not be easy . We can probably give timely warning of cheating on a scale that would alter the strategic balance . [ less than 1 line not declassified ] Packard Briefing Get Wheeler's talking points on targeting considerations . 1. Today ...
... not be easy . We can probably give timely warning of cheating on a scale that would alter the strategic balance . [ less than 1 line not declassified ] Packard Briefing Get Wheeler's talking points on targeting considerations . 1. Today ...
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Common terms and phrases
air defense aircraft allies alternative area defense attack billion biological warfare bombers capability chemical China Chinese cost David Packard decision defense budget Department of Defense deploy deployment deterrent discussion Document draft Europe Footnote Helms Ibid ICBM improve increase Institutional Files H-Files Intelligence issues Joint Chiefs Kissinger Korea limited line not declassified memorandum military Minuteman MIRV Moorer National Archives National Security NATO Nixon Presidential Materials North Vietnam NSC Files NSC Institutional Files NSC meeting NSDM NSSM nuclear war nuclear weapons options Packard paper posture President problem protection purpose forces radar reduce Safeguard Safeguard program SALT Secretary of Defense silos SLBM Southeast Asia Soviet Union strategic forces strategic nuclear submarines tactical nuclear talks targets testing threat tion Top Secret toxins Tucker U.S. strategic United USSR Vietnam warheads Warsaw Pact Washington Wheeler White House