S4 EP 6 - Nuclear Threats: Life After Death After Life

In this episode, Stephen Herzog of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies joins Mark Williams to discuss his co-edited book Atomic Backfires. Drawing on extensive research and case studies, Herzog examines renewed global fears surrounding nuclear weapons and proliferation, pointing to Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling during the war in Ukraine, the proliferation incentives created by the experiences of Iraq, Libya, and Ukraine, and concerns over weakening U.S. security assurances under the Trump administration. He also explores the unintended—and often counterproductive—effects of policies designed to reduce nuclear risks, including sanctions, military threats, counterproliferation strikes, and arms control agreements.

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.

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).

New Frontiers (from the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College) is a higher education podcast series bringing scholarly research and expertise to bear on national, international, and global affairs.

Produced and edited by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams, director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Intro by Charlotte Tate, associate director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Edits by RCGA intern Mehr Sohal.

Music Credits
Forte by Kestra - Summer with Sound Album
Soul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising Album
Transitions by Mark Williams