mutually assured destruction (M.A.D.)
“M.A.D., of course, is an evolutionary defense strategy based on the concept that neither the United States nor its enemies will ever start a nuclear war because the other side will retaliate massively and unacceptably." -Colonel Alan J. Parrington |
These military officials demonstrate M.A.D. The officials represent leaders of sovereign countries, or rather the countries itself. The guillotines represent nuclear war, which would kill - or destruct, in a country's case - the officials or countries.
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Application to the arms race
“Nuclear use would be catastrophic."
-The Soviet General Staff, 1981
-The Soviet General Staff, 1981
“M.A.D. dictated that neither the U.S. nor the Soviet Union could give up their weapons if they wanted to “win" the arms race. Thus, both states continued to develop nuclear arsenals." -Secretary General Robert McNamara, 1965 |
The political cartoon above shows First Secretary Khrushchev (left) and President Kennedy (right) in a literal arms "race."
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The U.S.' responsibility continued to be to protect its citizens while also preventing the world from
entering a nuclear conflict.
“First strike capability is a country's ability to defeat another nuclear power by destroying its arsenal to the point where the attacking country can survive the weakened retaliation while the opposing side is left unable to continue war.
A second-strike capability is a country's assured ability to respond to a nuclear attack with powerful nuclear retaliation against the attacker."
-Princeton University Foreign Policy Program
M.A.D. was the defining theory that justified the rights of the U.S. in the arms race; in order to prevent the Soviet Union from attacking, the U.S. had to build more weapons to obtain second-strike capability.
entering a nuclear conflict.
“First strike capability is a country's ability to defeat another nuclear power by destroying its arsenal to the point where the attacking country can survive the weakened retaliation while the opposing side is left unable to continue war.
A second-strike capability is a country's assured ability to respond to a nuclear attack with powerful nuclear retaliation against the attacker."
-Princeton University Foreign Policy Program
M.A.D. was the defining theory that justified the rights of the U.S. in the arms race; in order to prevent the Soviet Union from attacking, the U.S. had to build more weapons to obtain second-strike capability.