Or, they used their communist connections in China to launch the nukes, as well as their power on the US side to cause the peace talks to break down causing the US to reach even deeper into East Asia thus forcing their hand (FNV Ceasar level writing there, I doubt it but it's an easy out).
ALSO...
I stopped playing when the carrying weight bug got patched out preventing infinite carry weight. It simply got un-fun with item degradation - how did you get fun managing weight when the limit was so tiny compared to the amount of the amount of armor repair you needed to do / weapon repair?
It isn't, just like System Shock isn't an RPG but it has roleplaying elements.
Oh it has a stat system
*SLAP*
it has no branching quests, factions nor alternate ways the story ends... other than death screens and an "open" world.
Equipping Power Fists, and with a Strength of 10, punching children so hard they fly across the game map taking over 30 seconds to go to your next move
/and the sound they make when you punch them
ALL RIGHT!
According to the terminal text in MATN's two F76 videos, The Brotherhood is going to be in West Virginia, 25 years after the bombs dropped!
/facepalm unless they are a red herring