Nuclear Weapons and Conflict Escalation: Impacts on Fatalities and the India-China Case

Author

• Tyden J. Kortman, University of MississippiFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-9-2026

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Shaio Zerba

Second Advisor

Craig Morris

Third Advisor

John Bruce

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The study of nuclear weapons and their impact on conflict have existed as long as nuclear weapons themselves. Nonetheless, many questions remain on whether nuclear weapons serve primarily as a deterrent to conflict or as an avenue towards the deadliest form of warfare in human history. We use both statistical analysis against a large conflict dataset and a case study of India-China conflicts from 1955-1979 to contribute to the ongoing literature on this question. We hypothesize that nuclear weapons lower the rate of conflict and dispute escalation. After statistical testing and case study analysis, we found that there was no relationship between nuclear weapons and conflict escalation; however, there was a negative relationship with dispute escalation, showing that nuclear weapons limit disputes from becoming conflicts. Our case study of India-China also illustrates certain conditions that may limit the effectiveness of nuclear weapons, such as geographic proximity and asymmetric dyads. While not directly tested by our analysis, our findings also suggest that nuclear weapons may have an effect on the initiation of disputes in the first place.

Recommended Citation

Kortman, Tyden J., "Nuclear Weapons and Conflict Escalation: Impacts on Fatalities and the India-China Case" (2026). Honors Theses. 3426.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3426

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