superpowers

The U.S. and Soviet failure to keep their part of the nonproliferation bargain threatens the fragile equilibrium of incentives and disincentives that has so far prevented the spread of nuclear weapons.

Two features of the post-1945 world are striking when put in the context of the history of international politics. First, the two largest powers have been deeply antagonistic towards each other and as a result have accumulated massive armed might — yet their forces have never clashed directly. Second, there have been many wars throughout the globe except on the continent which remains the focal point of great power conflict and which has the bloodiest history of all — Europe.