Nuclear Deterrence in the Modern Age

Episode 36 explores why nuclear weapons remain central to global strategy decades after the Cold War. It explains the logic of deterrence, mutually assured destruction, the American nuclear triad, tactical nuclear weapons, and the importance of credibility in protecting allies. The episode also examines modern risks such as hypersonic weapons, cyberattacks, artificial intelligence, weakened arms-control agreements, and the growing number of nuclear powers. Ultimately, it highlights the paradox at the heart of nuclear strategy: nations maintain weapons capable of catastrophic destruction in the hope that their existence will prevent anyone from ever using them.