A presentation by Marina Henke, Professor of International Relations at the Hertie School and Director of the Centre for International Security, and Felix Lemmer, Research Associate at the Centre for International Security. This event is part of the International Security Research Colloquium hosted by the Centre for International Security.
International security theorists spend much time studying scenarios of plausible nuclear weapons use. Most such scenarios involve the usage of strategic nuclear weapons in a large-scale war. However, already during the Cold War other scenarios were developed that involved a limited nuclear strike. First and foremost a psychological strategy, limited nuclear war plays with the fear of a nuclear Armageddon. In this present moment, many scholars and practitioners suggest that Russia could follow such a strategy: it might detonate a tactical nuclear weapon with the hope of deterring NATO. Russia thus speculates that images of a mushroom cloud on TV screens might cause panic and disarray among NATO member state governments, stifling NATO actions especially in Ukraine. But is such a NATO reaction preordained? How would the publics in NATO member states react to the explosion of a Russian tactical nuclear weapon? This presentation addresses this question by exploring four waves of survey experiments in Germany and the United States.
Speaker
Marina Henke, PhD is a Professor of International Relations at the Hertie School and the Director of the Centre for International Security. She researches and publishes on military interventions, peacekeeping, nuclear security and European security and defense policy.
Felix Lemmer is a Research Associate at the Centre for International Security. His research interests include nuclear weapons and arms control.
