List of Charts, Tables and Diagrams - Acknowledgements - Notes on the Contributors - Introduction - THE SOVIET UNION - The Communist Party of the Soviet Union - The State - The Military - The Weapons Development Process - Decision-Making on the SS-20: A Case Study - Notes - THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - The Intelligence Community - The Department of Energy - The Department of Defence - The Administration - The State Department - The United States Congress - Defence Contracting - Decision-Making on the MIRV: A Case Study - Notes - BRITAIN - The Cabinet and Cabinet Office - The Civil Service and Decision-Making - The Ministry of Defence - The Role of the Treasury - Foreign Policy, Defence Policy and Arms Control - The 'Special Relationship' with the US - Britain's Role in NATO - Decision-Making on the Chevaline Warhead: A Case Study - Notes - FRANCE - Cycle 1: Military R&D Policy Formulation - Cycle 2: Fundamental Civilian Research - Cycle 3: Fundamental and Exploratory Military Research - Cycle 4: Applied Military R&D and Industrial Development - Cycles 5 and 6: Warhead Research and Development - Cycle 7: The Ultimate Decisions - Notes - CHINA - The Party, the State and the Armed Forces - The Communist Party of China - The Central Military Commission - The State Council and the Commissions - Ministry of Defence and the People's Liberation Army - Notes - NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION - The Structures of NATO - NATO and Alliance Policy Making: The Principle of Consensus - NATO as a Nuclear Alliance - The Euro-Missile Decision 1979: A Case Study - Politics of the Nuclear Planning Group - Notes - WARSAW TREATY ORGANISATION - History of the WTO - Military Structures - Political Structures - Counter Deployments in Eastern Europe: A Case Study - Notes - Postscript - Index