Nuclear war may have become more likely than ever before. While the threat of global thermonuclear war has receded in recent years, the risk of a local nuclear conflict has instead grown considerably. In the past few years alone, we have seen North Korea conducting frequent ballistic missile tests with progressively longer ranges, a hostile territorial dispute between India and Pakistan which nearly led to a third nuclear conflict between those two nations in just over 20 years, and a resurgent Russia which is again being openly antagonistic towards its neighbors — this time on Western soil. There are many different kinds of nuclear wars we could see as a result of these developments. Some involve small-scale exchanges between regional powers that do not escalate into anything further. Others involve large-scale exchanges between major powers that trigger a full-blown thermonuclear conflict involving multiple countries and posing an existential threat to mankind as we know it today.
Will Everyone Die In A Nuclear War?
The short answer is yes, everyone will die in a nuclear war. The long answer is that there is a possibility that no one will survive the detonation of nuclear warheads. The reason for this is two-fold. First of all, the sheer force of a nuclear blast can vaporize anything within its range. Secondly, nuclear weapons are often coated with materials that are radioactive and toxic. When these weapons detonate, they produce clouds of toxic gas that can spread throughout large areas and poison anyone who comes into contact with it.
What Happens When Countries Go To War?
- A nuclear exchange between two countries may start with a conventional war between the nations, as occurred in World War II. However, if both sides are sufficiently prepared and have access to nuclear weapons, then a nuclear exchange may still be triggered.
- A conventional war between two countries may evolve into a nuclear exchange if one side can gain an advantage over the other by going to war first. This was seen in World War II when Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939 — before Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3rd of that year. Over time, this advantage became so pronounced that Britain and France felt compelled to divert resources from their ongoing naval war with Germany to build up their land forces for an invasion of Germany itself for them to finally overcome the German military machine.
- If both sides do not have sufficient resources to wage an all-out thermonuclear war against each other, then they will certainly resort to sub-conventional warfare tactics war, then they may resort to a ‘limited war’ in which they attempt to defeat their opponent militarily and gain control of their territory. This was the case during the Korean War of 1950 when the United States attempted to defeat North Korea militarily but did not try to conquer it.
- A limited war may escalate into a full-scale war that involves all participating countries instead of just one or two, as happened in World War II when Germany invaded both France and Russia simultaneously. This is because a limited war can quickly become a full-scale war if one side gains an advantage over its opponent — for example, by defeating them in battle or capturing territory from them — that allows it to win control of its territory and resources.
- If countries are not able to defeat each other militarily, then they may resort to terrorism against their opponent to force them out of the conflict. Countries such as Japan in World War II resorted to terrorism against China to conventional war, then each side may choose to go to war by using its nuclear weapons. This was seen in the Korean War of 1950–1953 between North Korea and South Korea. The North Korean army was far superior in terms of manpower and equipment, and the South Korean army was outmatched. However, the South Koreans nevertheless chose to use their nuclear weapons against North Korea because they were able to retain control of the skies despite being outnumbered. This allowed them to win a decisive victory over the North Koreans on several fronts and as a result forced them back into their territory, where they were eventually defeated by a massive American invasion force.
Nuclear Weapons Have Limited Use During War
- conventional war, then a nuclear exchange may still be triggered if both sides feel compelled to use nuclear weapons to gain the advantage. This was seen in World War II when the Soviet Union felt that it would be at a distinct disadvantage if there was a major land invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany. As a result, Stalin felt compelled to start an invasion of Finland on November 30th, 1939 to draw German troops away from the border with the Soviet Union. However, this set off a chain reaction within Europe when Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939, and Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3rd of that year — thus triggering World War II.
- A nuclear exchange may still happen even if neither side is prepared or willing to wage an all-out conventional war against their opponent. This was seen in World War I where both Germany and Britain had sufficient resources but neither was willing or able to wage an all-out land battle against their opponent. This resulted in what is known as the “Race To The Sea” during which both countries were constantly trying to get more naval resources into place before their opponent did so — thus increasing the chances of either getting into a nuclear conflict.
- If one side has war, then a limited nuclear war may be the only option available to both sides. This was seen in 1962 when the Soviet Union and China nearly went to war over a border dispute in which a Chinese patrol boat accidentally ran over and killed Soviet border guards. The attack on the patrol boat led to an exchange of artillery fire between the two sides, with each side attempting to take advantage of the other’s weakness. Ultimately, it was agreed that both sides would withdraw their forces from the disputed border region. This was not so much a peace agreement as it was a non-aggression pact between two nuclear powers that did not want to go to war with one another over such trivial matters.
- If neither side can break through its opponent’s defenses, then an all-out nuclear war may be unavoidable. This was seen in 1945 when Japan launched an invasion of China that was intended to force China into surrendering its territories and agreeing to Japan’s terms for peace — but it only served to greatly anger the Chinese, who responded by unleashing waves upon waves of terror attacks on Japanese cities that ultimately led Japan into surrendering on August 15th, 1945 — just days after Hiroshima had been destroyed by an atomic bomb dropped by nuclear war, then a conventional war may still become a nuclear exchange if the aggressor nation can gain the advantage by launching an attack first. This was seen in World War II when Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939 — before Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3rd of that year. Over time, this advantage became so pronounced that Britain and France felt compelled to divert resources from their ongoing naval war with Germany to build up their land forces for an invasion of Germany itself for them to finally overcome the German military machine.
- If one side does not possess the ability to launch a nuclear attack, then a conventional conflict can still escalate into a nuclear exchange if both sides are sufficiently prepared and have access to nuclear weapons. This was seen in World War II when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 — before America officially entered the war against Japan three days later on December 8th of that year. Over time, this advantage became so pronounced that America felt compelled to divert resources from its ongoing naval battle with Japan to build up its land forces for an invasion of Japan itself for America to finally overcome the Japanese military machine.
Surviving A Nuclear War Without Dying Or Suffering Indefinite Disabilities
- Nuclear exchanges may occur during conventional wars as well. This was seen in both World War II and the Cold War when nuclear bombs were used against military targets on both sides of the conflict.
- If neither side can gain an advantage from fighting first, then a conventional war between two countries may escalate into a nuclear exchange if one side has sufficient capability to do so (e.g., if one side has overwhelming numerical superiority over another). This was seen in both World War II and the Cold War with Germany and the Soviet Union, respectively.
- If neither side is capable of gaining an advantage from fighting first, then both sides may instead resort to a local nuclear conflict (or even use tactical nukes against each other). This was seen in World War II between Japan and China as well as between England and France during the Napoleonic Wars between 1793-1815 as pertains to their respective colonial possessions’ nuclear war, then they may resort to a limited nuclear exchange. This is what happened in World War I where both sides used relatively small numbers of tactical nukes as a way to keep their opponent from gaining the advantage.
- A limited nuclear exchange could also be triggered by the use of tactical nukes by terrorists or rogue states or other actors who have no formal military alliance with either side. The 9/11 attacks in 2001 are a good example of this, and the 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon was another example where these kinds of attacks did not involve formal military alliance between countries but still led to limited nuclear exchanges between the US and Libya.
- A limited nuclear war might also be triggered by an accidental nuclear detonation or cyber attack that causes a power outage at critical facilities that could lead to accidental launchings of strategic weapons systems (e.g., missiles).
- A conventional war between two countries may also escalate into a nuclear exchange if one side can launch a successful preemptive attack on the other before they can even get off their first strike. This has also been seen in history as well; Japan launched an unprovoked surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in December 1941, destroying over 2/3rds of America’s Pacific fleet while they were all at sea and killing more than 2,400 American servicemen without any prior warning whatsoever. Such an attack would be considered an act of war under international law (which did not exist
Bottom Line
Nuclear war is not something that will happen in the distant future — it could happen tomorrow, and when it does, it will change the world as we know it. If you are reading this article, then you are probably curious about what the world will look like after a nuclear war. It is important to note that many different types of nuclear wars could happen as a result of recent geopolitical developments. If you want to survive a nuclear war, you should focus on surviving the initial blast and aftermath, and hope that it ends as quickly as possible so that life can return to normal.