Bernard Brodie (military strategist), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Bernard Brodie (military strategist)

American nuclear strategist

Date of Birth: 20-May-1910

Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Date of Death: 24-Nov-1978

Profession: university teacher

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Bernard Brodie (May 20, 1910 – November 24, 1978) was an American military strategist well known for establishing the basics of nuclear strategy.
Known as "the American Clausewitz," and "the original nuclear strategist," he was an initial architect of nuclear deterrence strategy and tried to ascertain the role and value of nuclear weapons after their creation. Brodie was initially a strong supporter of the concept of escalating responses; he promoted the view that a war in Europe would be started with conventional forces and escalate to nuclear only if and when necessary.
After a meeting with French counterparts in 1960, he came to espouse a very different policy, one based purely on nuclear deterrence with the stated position that the US would use nuclear arms at the first instance of hostilities of any sort.
Brodie felt that anything short of this seriously eroded the concept of deterrence and might lead to situations where one side might enter hostilities believing it could remain non-nuclear.
This change in policy made Brodie increasingly at odds with his contemporaries.