TOP SECRET (b) So long as the West is weak in conventional armaments, the Soviet Government will continue to exploit this weakness, principally by cold war methods but also by local aggression should the opportunity arise. There is still danger that total war may result from some situation that obliges the Western Powers to take military action against Soviet forces. (c) Provided it is made perfectly clear that in the event of Soviet aggression the Western Powers will not hesitate to wield their overwhelming superiority in atomic weapons, that superiority will be a powerful deterrent.