The quantitative relationships are suggested that the applied stress decreases the nucleation barrier and activation energy of nucleation of martensitic transformation, and strain increases the nucleus sites. Taking Fe-20Ni-0.5C and Fe-25Ni-0.66C alloys as examples, their different martensitic morphologies in thermal-mechanical processing can be explained and the origin of such a difference may be revealed based on the Above theoretical analysis. Accordingly, the control of martensitic morphologies in thermal-mechanical processing of ferrous alloys will become possible.