Are Tactical Nuclear Weapons a Credible Deterrent to General Conventional War

The purpose of the paper is to determine if our tactical nuclear weapons can be considered as a credible deterrent to general conventional war. Two basic tests for deterrence are used: would the use of tactical nuclear weapons to oppose a general conventional attack create conditions unacceptable to the enemy, and do the US and other NATO nations have the will to use tactical nuclear weapons. The destructive potential, timing and use of nuclear weapons are examined.