Deterrence consists of getting an individual to give up something.
The first thing we are going to do is know the etymological origin of the term deterrence . In this case, we can establish that it derives from Latin, exactly from dissuasio , which means “action and effect of getting a person to change their mind” and that it is the result of the sum of three very different parts:
-The prefix dis- , which is synonymous with “separation” or “divergence”.
-The verb suadere , which means “to advise.”
-The suffix -sion , which is equivalent to “action and effect”.
What is deterrence
Deterrence is the act and result of dissuading : making someone give up something or modify their opinion . For example: “The police organized a deterrence operation to improve public safety” , “The government is promoting a deterrence campaign to discourage reckless behavior by drivers” , “We have to get the owner to abandon his intention to sell the company: who is willing to begin deterrence tasks?” .
Among the synonyms of deterrence we can find everything from demoralization to discouragement through discouragement . On the other hand, when it comes to antonyms we can emphasize persuasion .
Deterrence can be an action that is carried out with the intention of avoiding another action considered harmful or dangerous. An awareness campaign about the dangers of drinking alcohol before driving, for example, can show images of very serious crashes caused by drunk motorists: with these images, the aim is to discourage drivers from consuming alcoholic beverages. Therefore, there is a first action (the development of the campaign) that aims to deter a second (driving with alcohol in the blood).
Nuclear weapons are often considered to function as a deterrent.
a theory
Deterrence theory , on the other hand, is the postulate that refers to the existence of a strategy to ensure that a rival does not initiate a certain action. The concept is often linked to nuclear weapons , as some specialists argue that they should always be available, but never used. The mere fact of the existence of these weapons would function as a deterrent to an enemy attack.
According to the theory of deterrence, the fact that one State has the military capacity to destroy another serves as a deterrent so that another country does not carry out certain actions, even when the first State does not use its force.
Deterrence and the Cold War
It is important to know about the so-called deterrence theory that it began to be noticed during the so-called Cold War (1945 - 1991), where it was used as an important military strategy. It is also interesting to know about it, which is born from the population's fear of the apocalypse, of their lives being destroyed as such, and its main objective is to avoid what would be new wars.
On this topic, we must also highlight a book that speaks about it in a clear and precise way. We are referring to the one titled “Nuclear Deterrence: The Cold War. “A deep and visual study of one of the most difficult stages of the 20th century.” It is written by Juan Vázquez García and was published in 2018 .