Why would a successful first strike need to disable an enemy’s ability to retaliate?

In the context of military nuclear strategy, a successful first strike aims to disable an enemy’s nuclear arsenal and launch facilities to prevent them from executing a retaliatory counterstrike.12

By rendering an opponent unable to respond, a first strike would be strategically decisive, potentially allowing a nation to win a nuclear conflict or exert political blackmail without the risk of suffering a devastating retaliatory attack. This objective is central to counterforce doctrine, which focuses on targeting military infrastructure rather than civilian populations.13

However, the pursuit of such a capability creates significant instability. If a nation fears an imminent first strike, it faces intense pressure to launch its own weapons first to avoid being disarmed, a phenomenon known as the "reciprocal fear of surprise attack". To counter this, nations developed a nuclear triad and second-strike capability—ensuring that enough forces survive an initial attack to retaliate—which serves as the foundation for mutually assured destruction and deters the initiation of nuclear hostilities.145