The window for a successful First Strike was in the early 1980s. Soviet Nuclear superiority combined with a superior civil defense system, as well as ABM treaty violations and Biological weapons treaty violations and bomber defenses we didn’t have would not have ended well for us against the Soviet Union who valued human life to the extent that they had no problem killing 30-60 million of their own.
Reagan at that time was incredible. He knew we were vulnerable, but he came across with confidence and character, and then built a military that could take the Sovs on.
Is there any doubt after a first strike Carter would have surrendered?
Reagan was amazing in so many ways that are not remembered today by the majority, and that is a crime.
I agree, and I remember how tense some of us were that were aware of and involved in the times, we knew that Reagan was playing some big boy poker games, man he was a cool cucumber.