The tens of thousands who died in the atomic attacks on Japan were a very small fraction of the tens of millions killed in the second of two disastrous global conflicts in the first half of the 20th century. In the second half of that century, despite intense ideological rivalry and numerous proxy wars between East and West, there was no third global conflict.

Even your leading article (“Second Sun”, Aug 6) concedes that the “only sane aspect” of nuclear weapons is their promise of mutual assured destruction. Abolishing them would simply make the world safe — yet again — for mass conventional warfare between the superpowers. The utility of nuclear weapons lies precisely in their unique ability to deter such catastrophes.

Sir JULIAN LEWIS MP
Chairman
Defence Select Committee, 2015-19