«MUTUAL ASSURED DESTRUCTION» (MAD)

Abstract

The advent of nuclear weapons fundamentally changed warfare. During the United States and Soviet Union Cold War, both sides developed enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other multiple times over. Each side perceived the other to be a «sensible rational opponent» whose behavior was shaped by «threats of nuclear retaliation» from the other. Each relied upon the other to be concerned about its own survival and to not take an action that would lead to its own annihilation by nuclear retribution. While some secondary and proxy conflicts occurred, neither side could risk deploying a nuclear weapon because of the anticipated response. The «strategic bipolarity» model that defined the Cold War no longer represents the state of the world, in terms of physical conflict.