G. Warren Nutter

Henry Kissinger’s policy of détente, the easing of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, was controversial during the 1970s. Opponents of détente, such as G. Warren Nutter, assistant secretary of defense for international security from 1969 to 1973, argued that the Soviet Union remained a dangerous adversary and that détente was only making it more dangerous. In the following viewpoint, excerpted from his book Kissinger’s Grand Design, Nutter claims that détente has weakened U.S. power and strengthened the Soviet Union. According to Nutter, while the United States has reduced military spending in an effort to curb the arms race, the Soviet Union has used the opportunity to increase its military might. In...