START II

Definition

START II, or the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II, is a bilateral treaty between the United States and Russia aimed at further reducing and limiting strategic offensive arms. Signed in 1993, it was a continuation of the efforts to stabilize nuclear arsenals post-Cold War and aimed to enhance global security through arms control. The treaty specifically targeted the reduction of nuclear warheads and established a framework for verification measures to ensure compliance by both nations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. START II aimed to reduce the number of strategic nuclear warheads to a range of 3,000 to 3,500 for each country by the year 2007.
2. The treaty included provisions for eliminating multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
3. START II was signed by President George H.W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin but never entered into force due to geopolitical tensions and subsequent events.
4. Despite its failure to be ratified, START II laid the groundwork for future arms control agreements, including New START.
5. The treaty also included verification measures, such as data exchanges and on-site inspections, to monitor compliance effectively.

Review Questions

• What were the main goals of START II in terms of nuclear disarmament and how did it seek to achieve these goals?
  • The main goals of START II were to significantly reduce the number of strategic nuclear warheads held by both the United States and Russia while ensuring that both nations maintained a stable deterrent posture. It sought to achieve these goals through specific numerical limits on warheads, elimination of MIRVs, and rigorous verification measures. By establishing these frameworks, START II aimed to promote transparency and build trust between the two former adversaries in a post-Cold War context.
• Discuss why START II was never ratified and how this affected future arms control efforts between the United States and Russia.
  • START II was never ratified largely due to escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia in the late 1990s, especially following NATO's expansion and concerns over missile defense systems. The geopolitical climate made it difficult for both nations to commit fully to further reductions in their nuclear arsenals. This lack of ratification created challenges for future arms control initiatives, as it reflected underlying mistrust that would need to be addressed in subsequent treaties like New START.
• Evaluate the impact that START II had on subsequent arms control agreements, especially regarding its contributions or lessons learned.
  • Despite not being ratified, START II had a significant impact on subsequent arms control agreements by highlighting the importance of verification mechanisms and clear numerical limits on nuclear arsenals. It set a precedent for future negotiations, demonstrating both what was possible in arms reduction efforts and what challenges needed addressing. The lessons learned from the difficulties faced by START II contributed to shaping more flexible approaches in later treaties, such as New START, where both countries could better navigate their security concerns while still pursuing disarmament goals.

Related terms

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT): An international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD): A military doctrine which asserts that full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would result in the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT): Negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union to limit the growth of their respective nuclear arsenals during the Cold War.