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War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Andrei Kokoshin, 1987 [2]

Part of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.

12/29/1987

Andrei Kokoshin was the Director of the Institute of International Security Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences. In the interview he discusses the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) and possible countermeasures against it. He describes the research the Soviets conducted on the SDI program, which determined that there was no way to build a perfect shield. As a result, the Soviets concluded that its purpose must be in part to limit damage after a second retaliatory strike, and could not rule out American intentions to develop a first-strike capability. He describes radio electronic warfare as the best countermeasure because it is affordable, does not cause collateral harm, and can take out the enemy's spaced-based defense, which he believes has offensive capabilities as well. He also describes the changes he thinks should be made to NATO and Warsaw Treaty Organization military doctrines, especially for conventional forces. He believes that for the sake of stability both sides should sit down together, express their concerns, and come to an agreement on new defensive, rather than offensive, doctrines.


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Series
War and Peace in the Nuclear Age
Title

Interview with Andrei Kokoshin, 1987 [2]

Series Description

The first atomic explosion in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945, changed the world forever. This series chronicles these changes and the history of a new era. It traces the development of nuclear weapons, the evolution of nuclear strategy, and the politics of a world with the power to destroy itself.

In thirteen one-hour programs that combine historic footage and recent interviews with key American, Soviet, and European participants, the nuclear age unfolds: the origin and evolution of nuclear weapons; the people of the past who have shaped the events of the present; the ideas and issues that political leaders, scientists, and the public at large must confront, and the prospects for the future. Nuclear Age highlights the profound changes in contemporary thinking imposed by the advent of nuclear weapons. Series release date: 1/1989

Duration

00:21:49

Asset Type

Raw video

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Nuclear weapons
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
United States
Warsaw Treaty Organization
Soviet Union
Strategic Defense Initiative
Military weapons
Locations
Moscow, USSR
Genres
Documentary
Topics
Science
History
War and Conflict
Global Affairs
Contributors
Kokoshin, Andrei Afanasevich (Interviewee)
Publication Information
WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation
Chicago: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Andrei Kokoshin, 1987 [2],” 12/29/1987, GBH Archives, accessed March 29, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_F9B8DDA2750846FFB2297A0CD980B9FC.
MLA: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Andrei Kokoshin, 1987 [2].” 12/29/1987. GBH Archives. Web. March 29, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_F9B8DDA2750846FFB2297A0CD980B9FC>.
APA: War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Andrei Kokoshin, 1987 [2]. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_F9B8DDA2750846FFB2297A0CD980B9FC
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