ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the substantial moral doubts about nuclear weapons, war and strategy. Nuclear war could be over in days or even hours, denying leaders a chance to think again and change their minds. Nuclear forces have to be in a state of constant readiness at full strength. Some analysts argues that the cumulative impact of the four changes has been to make nuclear weapons devoid of any military use whatsoever; their only purpose can be deterrence. Nuclear weapons were to be substitutes for financial and manpower sacrifices considered politically impossible in Europe and they were to compensate for alleged Soviet superiority in conventional forces. The global balance is maintained by deterrence, which depends upon an absolute non-use of nuclear weapons. The European balance is said to depend upon useable nuclear weapons. Non-Americans might be forgiven for feeling happier when both the superpowers are equally deterred from contemplating the use of nuclear weapons.
