Balance of terror? Unfortunately, one of the few strategies to win an all-out nuclear war is to almost annihilate the entire world, and ensure that whoever launches the next nuke will obliterate humanity with radioactive contamination. There will then be little incentive for the "losing" side to retaliate. Of course, this strategy is not very practical, since it's difficult to determine the exact amount of radioactive contamination required to end the human era. (Obviously, underground shelters are not taken into account.)

Strategy for victory: Always use pre-emptive strikes against nations and unions with inferior technology (such as North Korea) before they use WMDs and/or catch up with us. Focus most of your resources on trade and research. Make the proletariat accept increasingly limited freedom in favor of security. Offer them opportunities to oppose changes (e.g. via voting) that have no actual impact on the progress. Ensure that the majority thinks that they're fighting for the right side through arbitrarily defined incentives (such as money). Out-tech everyone else and become untouchable.

We'll be Gods among men in our virtual prisons!

"Stephen Wolfram is the creator of Mathematica and is widely regarded as the most important innovator in scientific and technical computing today." - Stephen Wolfram