GOVT 3847 - [Weapons of Mass Destruction]

(GB) (SBA-AS)

Spring. Next offered 2018-2019. 4 credits. Student option grading.

S. Kreps.

The 20th and early 21st centuries have been profoundly affected by the development of extremely destructive, technology-based weapons, often (and sometimes wrongly) lumped together under the term “weapons of mass destruction.” This course will examine topics such as the physics, technology, ethics, and politics of nuclear weapons. In addition, the course will explore the nuclear arms race, efforts to restrain it via arms control, important concepts and strategies including nuclear deterrence, and recent and current issues associated with nuclear proliferation. Similarly, the technology, past and future potential uses, and prospects for preventing future use of biological, chemical, and radiological weapons will be covered. Finally, the delivery systems that enable the use of many of the above weapons will also be covered, ranging from the mass and fire bombings of World War II, to the massive missile arsenals of the Cold War, and to current issues such as the deployment and effectiveness of missile defenses.