American vs Russian Military (Which One Is Stronger?)

Well…kind of. If you’re going to take into account the threat of nuclear annihilation, you should also take into account the unwillingness of nuclear-armed nations to employ their arsenal because they know where the path will eventually end. Consider the ongoing example of Ukraine.

While Ukraine has no known nuclear or chemical arsenal of its own, both powers in the shadows (re: Russia and the United States) certainly do. And yet neither side has even hinted at using them to hasten the situation to their favor. The primary reason why the use of nuclear weapons sends a chill down the spine is not that world governments have them, but that someone unhinged and/or with no official responsibility for a large populace may somehow gain access to them. This is why all nations who have these weapons have in place numerous safeguards.

At the same time, yes. You’ve correctly pinpointed that, given an overwhelmingly superior military advantage in the field by one side, the other side can simply say “the hell with it” and release a few warheads. But let us draw out this scenario to what I believe is the most logical path. Let us suppose that the war in Ukraine degenerates into an all-out ground war, engulfing all of eastern Europe and eventually involving American troops. The war quickly turns against Russia, and Mr Putin flies into a mad rage, ordering a precision strike upon key US and NATO military positions.

What would inevitably follow would be a swift and utter condemnation of Russia’s action, followed by an equally swift precision strike against Russian military positions. It is at that point where governments have a last chance to take pause. In the best case, Russia military and other leaders would seize Putin and his most rabid followers, remove them from power, and sue for peace. In the worst case…well, you know the worst case. Game over.