But the horror of nuclear war that grew from the radioactive ruins of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has proved strong enough to prevent a repeat performance — so far. Even avoiding nuclear war to date has been a chancier thing than most accounts recognise. Even avoiding nuclear war to date has been a chancier thing than most accounts recognise. Cold War decision-makers could remember World War II, the scale of death and destruction entailed by total war between great powers. We must re-learn the fear of nuclear war that previous generations understood — and we must use it to build a powerful movement for peace and disarmament.