What does 'nuclear deterrent' mean and has it worked?
The argument for maintaining large numbers of nuclear weapons has been having the capacity to completely destroy your enemy would prevent them from attacking you.
The most famous term for this became mutually assured destruction (Mad).
Though there have been many nuclear tests and a constant increase in their technical complexity and destructive power, nuclear weapons have not been used in an armed confrontation since 1945.
Russian policy also acknowledges nuclear weapons solely as a deterrent and lists four cases for their use:
- the launch of ballistic missiles attacking the territory of the Russian Federation or its allies
- the use of nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction against the Russian Federation or its allies
- an attack on critical governmental or military sites of the Russian Federation that threatens its nuclear capability
- aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy