Interwar bombing theory assumed that strategic bombers would get through with ever larger and more destructive payloads. Britain and Germany then held chemical and biological weapons during the Second World War without using them in moments such as Dunkirk, the Blitz, or the Normandy campaign. Each side knew that the other could retaliate. This restraint helps explain the later logic of mutual destruction while leaving leaders to judge how far an opponent can be pushed. The comparison distinguishes striking a state that cannot respond from starting an exchange in which the same weapons will come back.
Notable Point · 33:41-36:06
Why wartime chemical and biological stockpiles went unused
Second World War chemical and biological stockpiles illustrate how the prospect of retaliation can restrain states that still possess devastating weapons.