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The Impact of Nukes on War

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Submitted By amelchionna
Words 313
Pages 2
Antonio Melchionna
International Politics
Response Paper 3
Word Count: 300 Since the advent of mass arms and nuclear weapons, the world has not seen major conflict such as that of World War 2. War was once used as a political tactic by a party seeking to defend itself or gain a positive outcome through victory. Reasons existed to avoid war, but if discussions broke down, and there was something to gain from conflict, war was likely. According to Jarvis this is due to the deterrence model of war. Under this model, nations will avoid conflict out of fear for what may result. It is difficult to rationalize war when the scale of destruction would far out way any benefits.
The cost of war is what “deters” powerful nations from going to war. If one observes the events during the cold war, it is clear that the United States and Soviet Union were at odds, and during a different time, would probably have fought. In the case of the cold war, neither side could justify the outcome of all-out war despite their clear and apparent problems. This is influenced by what is known as second strike capability. Many of the powerful nations that have waged war against each other in the past have nuclear arsenals. If country A launched nukes at country B, country B would fire back. As a result, more conflicts have been resolved through diplomacy and non-violence. States also risk putting civilians in direct danger, as destruction of the state and population is assured, even if the conflict is overseas.
By observing events like the Cold War, it’s clear that international politics has changed. Second strike capabilities and the ramifications of nukes are far too great of a risk to justify all out wars between major powers. This mutually assured destruction encourages parties to find alternatives to

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