Avoiding Armageddon

Book excerpt: Drawing on previously classified government records, Richter reveals that Canadian defence officials independently came to strategic understandings of the most critical issues of the nuclear age regarding the use of force in resolving disputes. Canadian appreciation of deterrence, arms control, and strategic stability differed conceptually from the US models. Similarly, Canadian thinking on the controversial issues of air defence and the domestic acquisition of nuclear weapons was primarily influenced by decidedly Canadian interests. This book illustrates Canada's considerable latitude for independent defence thinking while providing key historical information that helps make sense of the contemporary Canadian defence debate.