If a nation has nuclear missiles at its disposal why bother to spend millions buying and maintaining a conventional military?
Indeed. The only way nukes would let you win a war is if you were the only one in the world with the things. As was briefly the case at the end of WWII
Even then, there are going to be many scenarios where nukes wouldn't help. The enemy is mixed in with allies or even your own people for instance.
Nuclear weapons is a last resort. Most conflicts are resolved using the conventional military. You can also use your ground, air and sea forces to guard against other countries that may not have nuclear weapons but aren't afraid to invade.
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