Atomic anxiety: deterrence, taboo and the non-use of U.S. nuclear weapons

Introduction 1. - Explaining Nuclear Non-Use 8. - Understanding Nuclear Non-Use 38. - Revisiting Nuclear Non-Use 72. - Conclusion 173

1. Introduction: Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the Puzzling Non-use of U.S. Nuclear Weapons after 1945 -- 2. Explaining Nuclear Non-use : Nuclear Deterrence, the Nuclear Taboo, the Tradition of Non-use and Identifying Causal Factors -- 3. Understanding Nuclear Non-use : Focusing on Meaning, Language and Agency -- 4. Revisiting Nuclear Non-use : The Cuban Missile Crisis, Presidential Language and the Study of Atomic Anxiety as a Key Emotion in International Politics -- 5. Conclusion: The Danger of Complacency in Nuclear Policy-making.

With the concept of 'Atomic Anxiety', this book offers a novel perspective on one of the most important and longstanding puzzles of international politics: the non-use of U.S. nuclear weapons. By focusing on the fear surrounding nuclear weapons, it explains why nuclear deterrence and the nuclear taboo are working at cross purposes in practice