11–12 Jun 2026 Annual Conference
Stockholm University
Europe/Stockholm timezone

Limit to Win It: A Typology of Competitive Arms Control Practices

11 Jun 2026, 13:30
10m
Stockholm University

Stockholm University

Frescativägen, 114 19 Stockholm, Sweden
Paper Abstract (Closed Panels) Military Technology 1 Nuclear Weapons in a Changing World: From Deterrence to Arms Control

Speaker

Samuel Seitz (University of Oxford)

Description

Arms control is traditionally conceptualized as a cooperative undertaking, reducing risk and obviating the need for wasteful expenditure. But arms control can also be employed for competitive ends, shaping competition in ways that asymmetrically advantage certain parties. While previous literature has identified individual examples of competitive arms control within certain cases, the full range of competitive arms control practices has not been assessed comprehensively. This paper thus aims to advance the literature by developing a typology through which to categorize and conceptualize eight competitive arms control practices, identifying four mechanisms and two potential target types. The paper first illustrates the validity of the framework by offering illustrative examples of each cell within the typology from various periods of nuclear arms control. It then applies the typology to reevaluate naval arms control in the interwar period, revealing the degree to which national decision-making was driven by competitive, not cooperative, interests. By generating a comprehensive typology of competitive arms control strategies, this work provides a framework through which to reassess historical arms control regimes and from which to evaluate the potential for future arms control under the shadow of renewed great power competition.

If you are submitting an Open Panel proposal, have you included all four abstracts in attachment? No, I am submitting a Closed Panel abstract
Would you like to be considered for travel funding through the NetSec COST Action? No
Are you a member of the NetSec Management Committee? No
What discipline or branch of humanities or social sciences do you identify yourself with? International Relations
Which of the following best describes your stage of the career? Post-Doc (or within 3-year of PhD obtention)
In which country is your home institution? United Kingdom
What is your gender? Male

Author

Samuel Seitz (University of Oxford)

Presentation materials

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