Conclusions: Conceptual Themes

Abstract

Nuclear weapons have always been central to Australia’s sense of security, either directly or vicariously. This chapter evaluates the extent to which policy-makers had a clear idea about the role of nuclear weapons in the defense of Australia, and the strategies pursued to achieve strategic goals. It examines how and when policy-makers began to think about the concept of extended nuclear deterrence (END); to what extent they believed in it and how they articulated it; and how combined elements in Australia’s strategic environment shaped attitudes toward the desirability of a national nuclear capability. This chapter attempts to answer both questions about Australian thinking about nuclear weapons, and what the case study can illustrate about the broader issue of the role of nuclear weapons in international security.