Great-power wars begin with faith in controlled risk

Would nuclear powers be too cautious to start another great-power war?

Not necessarily; leaders often believe they can take limited risks and avoid the wider consequences, which is how escalation can escape control.

The exchange begins with confidence that nuclear powers would avoid another great-power conflict. The response accepts the hope but rejects certainty. Political and military leaders commonly believe they can obtain a limited objective while controlling escalation and avoiding the consequences that trapped earlier decision-makers. The danger lies precisely in that confidence, because a war can become general through miscalculation even when nobody initially sets out to begin one.