A quote that has fascinated and scared me ever since I first encountered it is:
"There are as yet no rules of behavior in a nuclear war."
I have this in some notes for a paper I wrote in college on
PD-59 and
AirLand Battle. I noted it as being attributed to
Soviet Lt. General Mikhail Milshtein from 08/28/1980.
It fascinates me because it is so true. Certainly, theories abound on the waging of warfare with nuclear weapons, but until such a conflict ocurrs (heaven forbid) they remain, simply, theories. Not until two powers toss big fat bombs and rockets back and forth will we have any idea...
The scary part is that the statement is too matter of fact. There is an inherent acceptance of the nuclear weapons as simple tools. Certainly, as a soldier (particularly one in the realm of Soviet military doctrine) this is exactly how nuclear arms were meant to be considered - namely one other weapon in the arsenal. Still, I do not think it could stated any more clinically.
Alright, I admit, I never pursued learning anything about Milshtein - his career, the context of his statement, or anything else. But I sure saved his quote, and I think about it from time-to-time.