Mehr lesen
Klappentext This history of the Strategic Defense Initiative ranges across politics, economics, strategic studies and international relations. It provides the results of research into the SDI interest groups, the distribution of contracts and the politics of influence. It discusses the wider contexts of 'Star Wars', such as alliance management, marketing and domestic politics, and its military spin-offs, especially for antisatellite (ASAT) and 'space control' programmes. The author tests the theoretical literature on the dynamics of the arms race by using SDI as a case study, and draws evidence from sources such as congressional hearings, interviews, the trade Press, restricted briefing papers, and documents obtained under the US Freedom of Information Act. The book follows the fortunes of strategic defence into the changed global conditions of the 1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the Gulf War and President Bush's announcement of a refocussed SDI, the Global Protection Against Limited Strikes (GPALS). Zusammenfassung This history of the Strategic Defense Initiative shows how political! economic! strategic and cultural factors have interacted to shape SDI. It examines new research into the SDI interest groups! the distribution of contracts! and the politics of influence! and explores SDI in terms of alliance management! popular culture and military spin-offs. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of tables; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction; Part I. Conception: 1. Theory; 2. The history of strategic defence in the USA; 3. The 'SDI' speech; Part II. Construction: 1983-1985: 4. Contexts; 5. Interest groups; 6. The politics of influence; Part III. Consolidation: 1985-1988: 7. Contexts and constituencies; 8. Interest and influence; 9. Early deployment?; Part IV. Contexts and Conditions: 10. Europe; 11. Military economy; 12. The culture of 'Star Wars'; 13. The selling of SDI; Part V. Conclusions: 14. Into the 1990s; 15. The causes of SDI; Notes; Select bibliography; Index....
