The association between the average each year of the ratings of the threat of nuclear war (rated by the “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists”) & rates of personal violence in the USA was studied for the period 1946-1986. The nuclear war threat was significantly associated with the homicide rate but not with the suicide rate. In multiple regressions, the threat of nuclear war was not predictive of suicide or homicide rates, while the military participation rate was a predictor of the suicide rates.