During the Cold War many thousands of nuclear weapons were built by the two opposing camps of the US and the USSR. The purpose of these weapons was not to use them, thereby destroying the human race and making the entire world too radioactive for any person to survive, but rather, it was just a threat. This was formally described as the MAD doctrine, Mutual Assured Destruction. If war were to break out between the US and the USSR, the amount of nuclear weapons involved would be so great that we would be assured that both nations, along with all other nations, would be destroyed. Although this seems like a crazy basis of defense policy, it actually did work. The US and the USSR never attacked each other directly, although they constantly maneuvered for greater international influence, up until the final collapse of the USSR, from its own internal weakness.
It began in the 1940s at the start of the Cold War.
It ensures (hopefully) that both nations are too frightened to launch their nuclear munitions.
Mutual assured destruction
The MAD policy is quite simple. It stands for Mutually Assured Destruction. The policy prevents a country from using nuclear weapons of mass destruction. For example, if say country X uses nuclear weapons on country N, then country N, will also use nuclear weapons on country x. In other words, both countries will be annihilated.
Mutually Assured Destruction.
Mutual Assured Destruction and proxy wars.
It began in the 1940s at the start of the Cold War.
Ronald Reagan
It ensures (hopefully) that both nations are too frightened to launch their nuclear munitions.
mutual assured destruction, espionage, detente.
MAD - Mutual Assured Destruction
If you try to blow me up I will blow you up. Nobody wins, so don't try.
The level of nuclear weapons required to completely destroy both sides in any war making use of such weapons.
Massive Retaliation
Mutual assured destruction
Preventing other countries with nuclear munitions from using them (nuclear deterrence, mutual assured destruction). Or, obviously, to end the world
Massive retaliation. The policy was called MAD- Mutual Assured Destruction. If you blow up my country, I will blow up your country.