"Atomic Backfires: When Nuclear Policies Fail" with Stephen Herzog

Please join the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs J-Term Speaker Series for a talk by Stephen Herzog, Professor of the Practice at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

Dr. Herzog is lead editor of Atomic Backfires: When Nuclear Policies Fail (MIT Press, 2025).

The existential risks posed to the world by nuclear weapons are growing. Efforts to halt nuclear proliferation, manage crises, promote arms control, and build alliances are all considered fundamental to reducing the likelihood of nuclear catastrophe. Yet, no tool is guaranteed to succeed and some may even have unanticipated, counterproductive consequences for international security.

In a field fixated on finding solutions, Atomic Backfires, edited by Stephen Herzog, Giles David Arceneaux, and Ariel F. W. Petrovics, provocatively takes the opposite tack. An impressive group of contributors calls for close scrutiny of “standard operating procedures” in nuclear politics. They warn decision makers, scholars, and students not to lose sight of the drivers and often calamitous effects of failed nuclear policies. The volume’s authors aim to provide insights for navigating the difficult nuclear choices pursued in Washington, D.C., and other capitals around the globe.

The RCGA J-Term Speaker Series feature Middlebury College winter term faculty examining examining some of the most challenging issues in their areas of expertise. For more information about the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs and the J-Term Speaker Series, visit here.