Volume XIII – Number 1
W. Wesley McDonald
Abstract: This article uses the action reaction model, in an attempt to explain the dynamics of arms race behavior. This theory essentially holds that each participant in an arms race is driven by a need to reply to the military-technological innovations of the other. This model has clearly applied to the US-Soviet arms race, as both sides regularly respond to the actions the other engages in. However, this article contends that the action reaction theory does not give a full explanation of the drivers of the US-Soviet arms race, and the advocacy of this theory has the potential to lead to unwise policy positions. Too often, American policy makers and analysts attribute to the Soviets the same interests and purposes that dominate American thinking. This misinformed idea of “mirror thinking” has led to the action reaction theory gaining prominence, as well as questionable decision making by American politicians.
Key Words: Cold War, Arms Race, USSR, Action-Reaction Theory, Mirror-Image
