The reasons for deterrence

Based on a series of seminars gathering students of the French Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, the author first proposes as introduction a discussion of lessons learned from recent Ukrainian crisis and Syrian crisis by focusing on issues related to deterrence, more precisely to the Syrian chemical program and attacks, and to the nuclear dimension of the Ukrainian crisis. The first part of this book addresses the French case with the definition of threats and of the defence policy (French white papers, overview of Russian and American defence policies, the current role of nuclear deterrence), and an historical overview of the French nuclear program. The second part proposes a brief grammar of deterrence through a presentation of the main technical data of nuclear defence, and of the main concepts related to nuclear defence and deterrence, through an historical overview of the strategic relationship between the USA and Russia, and through a discussion of the Non Proliferation Treaty (its history, its content, its current debates). The third part addresses the relationship between deterrence and regional balances by discussing issues related to various regions: South Asia (India and Pakistan), North Korea, China, role of the USA in Asia in terms of extended deterrence. It also comments the Iranian crisis: discussion of the problem, international, security and political stakes, brief history of negotiations. The fourth part addresses the relationships between non nuclear capabilities and deterrence: chemical and biological weapons as arms of massive destruction, programs and concepts of anti-missile defence, space and cyber-defence. The last and concluding part discusses the moral (or immoral) value of nuclear deterrence as it can be perceived from a humanitarian or legal point of view