Debate That nuclear weapons kept the peace through the Cold War.

That nuclear weapons kept the peace through the Cold War.

Debate

 

It would be kinda hard to say that they kept the peace. They probably did but only through fear whcih i don't think is a really peace. I think peace is more of an agreement which i don't think that either side took part in.

There was certainly a fear of using them since it would mean a retaliation of the same type. When it came to the Cuban Missile Crisis i don't think that their was going to be any kind of hesitation from the americans from using them since it put nearly all of their major cites in danger. Thankfully the Russian president came to reason and scraped the project.

As far as keeping peace is concerned i think it was something that stoped the Russians and the Americans from going to war with each other. I find it really difficult to use the word peace in this cituation since their was so much tenstion from either side. Lets not forget that their was a lot of indirect fighting between the 2 sides in the form of the the Korean and Vitmanese wars.

 

In my personal view, they kept the peace in the exact same way the Balance of Power kept the peace up until WWI.

 

The only way this kept peace is if it wasn't aimed fot the U.S to me...of course I wasn't alive then.

 

Would you attack someone, knowing they'd hit back just as hard, especially when it puts a great number of lives in danger?

Nuclear arms certainly did keep nuclear war from breaking out, and it's simply because both sides knew that the first missile they fired would trigger a counter attack of extremely deadly proportions. What's the point of destroying your enemy if he's going to destroy you?

I thought this was an accepted fact, especially since it's taught in schools across the country.

 

If I make a mistake on this reply, it's because I'm very bad on some histories, even the Cold War.

Nuclear weapons were not really in a way keeping peace. Everyone feared being attacked and killed.

I think that is the some of that part. I have no idea what really happened. Will someone that is good with History come over here and tell us what happened, please?

 

i think....
its like this
If america would have used the nuclear weaponry on Rusia, i think ALL OF RUSIA would be DEAD!...
They keep sending the nuclear missiles....would create a Atomic (or nuclear Cloud), make 1 big enough to cover rusia..and everything/everyone DIES!

I dont think the nuclear weaponry had anything to do with this peace...

They know...if everyone attacks with Nuclear weaponry....there would be a Terrifying Nuclear Cloud covering the earth....means --> NO SUN --> NO LIFE
and the human race as we know it...would just exstinct.....like the dinosaurs.
I think its because of that, why they wanna avoid using nuclear weaponry..it can destroy the planet...so destroyin your enemies with something that can destroy oneself..aint goood....so...that aint a option.

 

Most of the cold war was a Big "who is the bigger man stronger man contest"

Anyway First you have to look at why people go to war.. If you look back in History you will not find to many Wars that did not revolve around one country trying to take over the other.. So it would be pointless for either the Soviets at the time or the USA to nuke the hell out of each other.. Why???? it would be a MAJOR waste of trillions of dollars worth of resources.. I mean Russia Alone has one of the worlds Largest Oil and natural gas supplies in the world..

Now you also have to look at an invasion plan.. Both countries would have to sail their forces over the Pacific or atlantic to be able to invade each other.. And After WWII i dont think the Soviets would have wanted to suffer another loss like they did in WWI and WWII.. And the Americans Would Never be able to take a country as large as Russia...

So Did the nukes Really honestly play as much as a factor as we all think.. or was it just a lot of My House is bigger then your House..

 

My house bigger than your house?

Pah.

Nuclear deterrance was the only thing keeping the US and the Soviet Union from going out in a full scale war. The threat that if you so much as sent one soviet bottle rocket in the direction of US soil the entire USSR would be turned into a thermonuclear wasteland, and vice versa, kept both sides tense. It's like two men facing one another, each of them holding a gun pointed at the other. The arms race that resulted was an attempt for both sides to get a one up on the other and hopefully get around the Nuclear deterrance, improve methods of spying or controlling enemy information and/or trying to have a superior military incase Nuclear Deterrance failed.

You guys are all underestimating the psychological aspect of nuclear deterrance. Imagine if there was a chance that someone you hated had a submarine parked off your beach with enough warheads to turn your entire country into a glass field with the press of a button... but you didn't know for sure. In fact you don't know where any of his subs are. They could be anywhere. They could be parked off your coast... or maybe they werent. How would you know?

You wouldn't. That's why neither side did anything. They were virtually assured that if they launched, the other side would respond as well. Neither side wins. Everyone dies. Game over. It had nothing to do with resources. It's called M.A.D. -Mutually Assured Destruction.

About trans-oceanic invasions you have to remember that the US got very good at that during world war II when we fought wars on both fronts crossing both the Atlantic and the Pacific. It's not as much of an issue as you make it out to be Kame.

~W

 

It is true that they keep the peace, no 2 ways about it, and yes only through fear, but any peace is good enough i suppose.
since they where used back in WW2 was it? people have feared them.