Nuclear Weapons and the Nature of Warfare in the Thermonuclear Era

Abstract

This study examines how the emergence of nuclear weapons and strategic missile forces has transformed the nature of warfare and the interpretive framework of political rationality in the thermonuclear era. The analysis is based on a systematic review of international and domestic scholarship, complemented by qualitative thematic content analysis, with particular attention to the stability conditions of deterrence, decision-making biases, technical and organizational constraints, and escalation risks. The findings indicate that the paradox of nuclear weapons’ unusability generates both stabilizing and destabilizing effects: while it constrains the likelihood of direct great-power war, crisis situations increase the risk of escalation driven by misperception and uncertainty. The study concludes that nuclear arsenals should be understood not merely as military capabilities but as a structural risk environment, the analysis of which extends beyond military logic and requires the integration of normative, humanitarian, and environmental dimensions.