Nuclear Weapons, the Balance of Terror, the Quest for Peace

aggression alliance American balance of terror ballistic missiles bomb bombers chapter cities civil defence complete disarmament conventional attack conventional forces conventional level counter-city counter-force capabilities counter-force strike credibility crisis cruise missiles Cuban missile crisis dangers decision deployed deployments détente discussed earlier East and West effective deterrence enemy enhance escalation especially European countries firebreaks first-striker's advantage fission ICBMs inflict intermediate-range kilotons land-based launch launchers less massive minimum deterrence MIRVed mutual deterrence NATO NATO's negotiations nuclear arsenal nuclear capabilities nuclear conflict nuclear countries nuclear disarmament nuclear exchange nuclear force level nuclear forces nuclear level nuclear war offensive option peace perceived political possession possible potential aggressor probably problem programme reduce retaliation risk SALT scenario second-strike side side's SLBMs Soviet Union superpowers tensions theatre nuclear forces theatre nuclear weapons threat to stability treaty unacceptable damage unilateral United vulnerable war-fighting capability warheads Warsaw Pact weapon systems Western Europe