Atomic weapons reshape the international system by making small states more powerful
Small states will not be conquered without cost
According to Viner, the small country will again be more than a cipher or a mere pawn in power-politics, provided it is big enough to produce atomic bombs.
Viner seems to assume that atomic bombs will proliferate quickly
However, in the present day most atomic states are acknowledged powers that states would likely not go to war with anyway
The actions of rogue states illustrates what Viner is trying to argue