>>12252831I don't see Nukes actually being used in any scenario, even in the extremely unlikely event that the US and allies manage to occupy most of China's costal infrastructure and maybe some of Bejing.
US would never use Nukes in a first strike capability, and China would never use them for fear of escalation.
But lets say Nukes start flying. Add India to that list, because India's got major border beef with China, they're both Nuclear powers, and any scenario where China is suddenly involved in a major war, you better believe any Indian administration would go for some China border land grab for a win for their current party. Which would inevitably escalate into major Indian involvement.
>>12252848Destroying major infrastructure to displace millions would be a major blow to any perceived "moral superiority" of conducting the war.
Remember when the US went into Iraq, a major concern was SECURING the dams because there was a legitimate fear the Republican guard would destroy their own infrastructure in a sort of Scored earth polity, like the oil wells in Kuwait.
We definitely would go for factory infrastructure however. And bunkers. I don't think PLA has a major mobile missle infrastructure like the soviet union had, so that would be a lot of the targets.
>>12252851When Wars of Conquest became unsustainable for major military nations. When the checks and balances of modern political and economic structures have made outright, mass military conflict so unpalatable almost any other alternative is preferable.
When even the biggest nations in the world, like the united states, have shown that unlimited budgets and military superiority cannot even win you two third world countries in the middle of the a desert and mountain kingdom respectively.
Trust me, if there is actually any major, global style conflict in the future, it is because stupid people who have not been paying attention to any of the above have made stupid decisions, and somehow the people on the other side are stupid enough to engage with that stupid choice. Because they'll be nothing to gain otherwise.
