Nuclear Doctrines : What to Know

What happens when nuclear-armed states disagree - and neither can afford to back down?

Every nuclear power has a doctrine: a set of rules, red lines, and calculations that govern when - and whether - they would use the bomb. But these doctrines are rarely what they seem. They are as much about signaling and psychology as they are about military strategy.

In this episode, we break down how the world's nuclear powers think about their weapons - from America's deliberate ambiguity to Russia's escalate-to-de-escalate logic, from China's no-first-use pledge to the doctrines nobody officially admits to having.

The rules of the most dangerous game ever played - explained.