Nuclear War and Civil Defense

Abstract

No defense against weapons is perfect, and civil defense—protection of civilians against the dangers of war and particularly against the effects of nuclear weapons—is no exception to the rule. On the other hand, the harm which any weapon can cause can be diminished by suitable protective measures. This applies also to nuclear weapons. The questions to which we seek answers are, therefore, not whether protection against nuclear weapons is possible, but how such protection can be established, how effective the protection can be, and what the economic and political consequences of the protective measures may be. In the language of the social scientist, our inquiry is directed toward the costs and rewards of civil defense.