Can overwhelming firepower preserve peace?

Can peace be maintained through overwhelming firepower?

It can deter conflict, but it should be used only when necessary and then employed decisively.

Overwhelming firepower can deter conflict, though it is not necessarily the most sensible route to peace. A force built around that threat should not be used casually because its political purpose is to prevent the fight. If force becomes unavoidable, it should be employed decisively rather than piecemeal. The distinction lies between possessing a deterrent and crossing the threshold to use it.