That's a terrible example, Darth. Weapons, throughout history, have never caused 'peace'. The Cold War may not have been a nuclear one, but the US and the USSR waged dozens of 'wars' against each other on foreign soil with foreign nation's interests as their excuse.
Millions died in the 'Cold War'. The only thing that kept it from going nuclear and glassing the planet was the certainty of MAD.
Actually, both the USSR and United States would have survived a full nuclear exchange at the height of the Nuclear Arms Race. The nuclear weapons in reserve were horribly insufficient to ensure destruction of primary targets, let alone secondary and tertiary targets.
Though centralized government authority would be suspended for some time until surviving nodes could re-network and begin to route around destroyed sectors. Given the different histories of the respective countries - it would be more likely that the U.S. would recover its standing before the USSR did.
Still - enough of a deterrant to keep all but the most utilitarian of strategic planners from accepting strategic nuclear warfare as a valid strategy.
Though it's similarly unlikely that the two would have openly engaged each other even without nuclear weapons. Both countries know very well the economic costs of drawn-out wars. The USSR and United States were 'doomed' to proxy wars from the beginning. Neither the US nor the USSR really held ideas of invading each other's territory, proper. They were, however, each committed to spreading their respective influence and ideals. This meant proxy wars.
If either of us had actually wanted to invade the other (as we were all taught in school that the 'bad guys' wanted to do) - then MAD wouldn't have really prevented that conflict from happening. It's as silly as saying that tanks and artillery, when possessed by both sides, will prevent them from ever attacking each other - because the cost now becomes too high.
Kind of arguing for a third point here, really.
The only reason the proletariat should arm itself would be to put the business-end of a gun against a recruiter's temple.
It doesn't matter what title a human holds.
When a group of people get together and decide to increase your taxes to levels where you can't live anymore - and you can't afford to move away... you've nothing left but to fight.
There are many ways of cornering people in ways that are deliberate, unintentional, well-intentioned, etc. That is the cost society inflicts upon individuals. The interaction with other people will inevitably put us into conflict with the wills, goals, motives, and resources of another. When this happens - a confrontation is to be expected. In most cases, a minor vocalization is all that is necessary to establish a sort of territory and both parties move on.
But, in other cases - there is no resolution to the problem that leaves both individuals or their respective groups alive. At which point - you will have murder, war, or whatever terms you whish to apply to the scale. There will always be people who will destroy you if left to their devices. It may be purely unintentional... it may be that they assert their control over you and your population while having no regard for your way of life.
When that happens... you've got to fight (in some sense of the term) or die. Peace is no longer an option that includes your survival.
Thus, wars will happen without militaries. They'll happen without governments, without corporations. They will happen without religion and without philosophical ideals. Stripping away all that separates us from other common predators - we'd have wars over hunting grounds, fertile crop regions, shelter from storms or desirable places to migrate to - the list goes on.
There is a Taoist concept developed out of Yin and Yang called Wu and Wei. Wu is 'empty' - or to not act. Wei is 'action.' In every sense of Taoism - you hardly ever counter something with itself. You don't counter force with force - that leaves both injured. Of course, if you counter someone biding his/her time with biding your own time... nothing happens. You, instead, capture their force and redirect it. Or - you apply force and have it directed - depending upon how the situation is presented. The idea is that, by using a harmonious opposite - a more productive and less destructive outcome can be achieved with very little effort on your part. Wei-Wu-Wei... "Action without effort."
Same concept, here. Sometimes, it's best to bring pen and paper. Other times, it's best to bring your rifle and a few extra magazines. One should always keep both strategies open to them.