Bringing the subject of arms control into the arena of complex,
multi-polar international relations, this text traces the history of
agreements over weapons back to ancient times. The author puts forward a
typology of arms control: it occurs at the end of major conflicts,
stabilizes balances between states, develops norms of behaviour, manages
weapons proliferation, and acts as a tool of international
organizations. He examines the evolution of five qualitatively different
strategies, and applies the arms control typology to agreements in the
post-Cold War world.