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Preferred term

first-strike capability  

Definition

  • The idea of a first-strike capability came to prominence during the cold war within the context of the potential use of nuclear weapons. The tensions between East and West led both the United States and the Soviet Union to develop massive nuclear arsenals and plan for how they would conduct a war against one another. [Source: Encyclopedia of Power; First-Strike Capability]

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URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/first-strike_capability

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