Abstract
This article analyzes the views of the West German security policy elite on the MBFR (mutual balanced force reduction) talks in Vienna; it is based on the results of the SIPLA survey of 1980/81. The survey asked how the elite members' attitudes toward the talks in Vienna are influenced by their suppositions about the goal of the talks (overcoming vs. stabilizing deterrence), their view of arms control (technical vs. political), their preference for offensive vs. defensive negotiation strategies, and their differing images of the Soviet Union. Additionally, the article discusses the impact of the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, as well as the growing Soviet lead in armaments.
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