Game Theory and Nuclear Deterrence

The theory of nuclear deterrence seems, at first glance, crudely simple. Since both the United States and the Soviet Union have the nuclear capacity to destroy each other in any nuclear war, nuclear war is not possible for either country. As long as the balance of terror and mutual assured destruction are maintained, the existence of nuclear weapons in large numbers is exactly what assures that these weapons will never be used. In the 1955 words of Winston Churchill, Safety will be the sturdy child of terror, and survival the twin brother of annihilation.