Ted Taylor (among probably others in the game) thought similarly.
He managed to design the smallest nuke ever; akin to the Russky briefcase devices - also the largest fission-only device.


Had the naive idea that if he made the things Horrible-enough

They. Would. SEE - - -


(And I plead guilty to similar imaginations;)
I suppose some figured that, post-Caligula, things could only improve ....
but Hey! that Did work: Clavdivs was an OK guy.