Strategies of arms control

Bringing the subject of arms control into the arena of complex multi-polar international relations this text traces the history of agreements over weapons back to ancient times. The author puts forward a typology of arms control: it occurs at the end of major conflicts stabilizes balances between states develops norms of behaviour manages weapons proliferation and acts as a tool of international organizations. He examines the evolution of five qualitatively different strategies and applies the arms control typology to agreements in the post-Cold War world.