Nuclear War: Go Ahead Justify It

[Raptor1]

Justifying nuclear war is easier than you think. It only takes comparatively little provocation for the use of tactical nuclear weapons in total war, one side only needs to believe it gives it enough of an operational advantage. During the Cold War, both NATO and the Warsaw Pact had plans that would've practically guaranteed use of tactical nuclear weapons if war broke out in West Germany (Some sources I heard hold that a Warsaw Pact offensive would've used them right from the start. If this didn't happen, Warsaw Pact use of chemical weapons would've prompted NATO to immediately counter with nukes). From there, it will likely quickly degenerate into either a limited or total strategic nuclear exchange as both sides try to crush the enemy's ability to hurt them as early as possible.

If you're looking for a moral justification for launching a strategic nuclear exchange, there isn't one. If it happens, it will not be because somebody thought it was justified, or, for that matter, because somebody "pushed the button" at all.