Abstract
ABSTRACT Focusing on the academic and policy career of Norwegian scholar-statesman Johan Jørgen Holst, this article explores the history of Norway’s attempt to ensure its security through a balance between deterrence and reassurance of the Soviet Union. It argues that Holst’s concept of balancing deterrence and reassurance provided an intellectually coherent rationale for Norwegian policy, tailored to its specific needs. However, Holst encountered increasing difficulties in implementing his concept during his time in government in the 1970s and 1980s. Holst’s government experience underlines the importance of combining any future reassurance measures with a coherent deterrence package, in consultation with NATO allies.
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