Latest Breaking News
In reply to the discussion: REPORT: Anonymous Hacks Top Nuclear Watchdog Again To Force Investigation Of Israel [View all]shaayecanaan
(6,068 posts)the US and the Soviet Union have come closest to the edge in terms of the use of nuclear weapons. There was an incident when the US dropped depth charges on a Soviet nuclear submarine during the Cuban missile crisis, and a launch was only prevented by the insistence of a Soviet junior officer named Arkhapov.
The Soviets also came close to launching after their early warning system falsely detected missile launches from the US that were due to sunlight.
The US has used nuclear weapons twice, and has also threatened their use an additional time (MacArthur wanted to use them against China).
During the 1973 war, Israel loaded 13 atomic bombs onto aircraft, and were preparing to use them in the event that the US did not airlift arms to Israel. Fortunately they were.
By contrast, the UK, France, China, India, Pakistan (and to some extent North Korea) have been relatively restrained in their use of nuclear weapons. It should also be remembered that Iran refused to use chemical weapons against the Iraqis, even after the Iraqis started using chemical weapons against them.
I suppose in short, an autocratic regime is not necessarily any less rational than a democratic regime, including when it comes to nuclear weapons.