The purpose of this paper is to identify the main influence factor in the formation of the nuclear command and control system that the Soviet Union employed and analyze how the influence factor actually affected the actual nuclear command and control system. Under these purposes, the influence factors derived from existing discussions on the nuclear command and control system were analyzed and the most influential factors were deducted as the ‘party-military relations’. Subsequently, the researcher then analyzed to how the party-military relations of the Soviet Union influenced the nuclear command and control system. The study was conducted to verify that the nuclear command and control system of the Soviet Union was formed with the ideological foundations of their nations, the party influenced the foundation of nuclear command and control system while controlling the army, and the military constructed the nuclear command and control system in order to participate in the party’s problems. As a result, this formed a Soviet centralized nuclear command and control system.
To start with, the ideological foundations that influenced the nuclear command and control system of the Soviet Union were the military aspects of Marxism-Leninism and Trotskyism. Marxism-Leninism asserted that war did more harm, but also considered war as a necessary factor for the victory of communism. Trotsky also asserted that war is continuous politics and that the military is just a tool for politics. In this party-military relation established by the ideological foundations, the party was superior over the military, and this affected the formation of the nuclear command and control system. The party controlled the military with the nuclear command and control system organizations, and the military participated in the issues of the party, which can be identified by the characteristics of the nuclear command and control system.
The party influenced the nuclear command and control system in the organizational aspect through three factors. First, the party controlled the nuclear command and control system with direct guidance of the top political leaders at the Defense Council and Supreme Command. Second, the party established a monitoring system in the Ministry of Defense and the military and gained control of both the military and the nuclear command and control system. Third, the party induced the army to voluntarily become loyal, and not turn against the party due to excessive control.
On the other hand, the military was not able to participate in the party''''s issue in depth, and had low powers in the nuclear command and control system. Accordingly, the military established party-centered nuclear command and control system centering on the General Staff in order to participate and contribute to the party’s issues. The characteristics of this party-centered nuclear command and control system showed as following. First, it was developing the ability to adapt in changing circumstances in instances of nuclear war and contingency situations. Second, it was establishing central control of nuclear weapons in the chain of command. Third, it was controlling the combat readiness condition for nuclear capability and fulfilling the leadership decision of the supreme political leadership.
In other words, the nuclear command and control system of the Soviet Union established a centralized nuclear command and control system due to the factors of ideological foundations, the party’s control over the military, and the participation of the military in the party’s issues. This can be verified with the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Although this study had limited sources, it could be confirmed that the party was superior to the military in the process of decision making regarding the nuclear weapons in nuclear command and control system, and that the military supported the party in centralizing the control of nuclear weapons. Thus, it can be estimated that the party-military relations effectively influenced nuclear command and control system.