United States/Soviet Military Balance (CRS Report for Congress)
Premium Purchase PDF for $24.95 (32 pages)
add to cart or
subscribe for unlimited access
Pro Premium subscribers have free access to our full library of CRS reports.
Subscribe today, or
request a demo to learn more.
| Release Date |
Jan. 4, 1982 |
| Report Number |
IB78029 |
| Authors |
John M. Collins and Elizabeth Ann Severns, Office of Senior Specialists |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
President Kennedy told MOSCOW in 1962 to remove its ballistic missilesfrom Cuba or face U.S. military action. Soviet Premier Khrushchev complied.President Carter, who flatly stated that "the status quo is not acceptable,"asked Moscow to remove its combat brigade in October 1979, and SovietPresident Brezhnev refused. Those confrontations, of course, are notstrictly analogous, but the shift in strength since the first showdown hasclearly reinforced U.S. risks around the world and reduced our room formaneuver.This issue brief sketches the situation in 1960 before the Soviet buildup began,depicts the present balance, and identifies some significant issues for U.S.defense decisionmakers.
