Nuclear deterrence is often misunderstood as a promise to stop every conflict. Its more limited effect is to place a ceiling on escalation: a conventional attack usually does not justify nuclear retaliation, while nuclear first use crosses a different threshold. The protection depends on possessing nuclear weapons or belonging to an alliance willing to treat a threat to one member as a threat to all. Without either, a nuclear-armed opponent gains coercive leverage that the weaker state cannot match.
Notable Point · 2:49:09-2:50:20
Nuclear deterrence sets a ceiling on conflict
Nuclear weapons do not eliminate conventional fighting, but they constrain escalation and protect states that possess them or shelter under a credible alliance.