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MAD: The Cold War Nuclear Doctrine That Kept the Peace Through Mutual Destruction
@worldhistorian
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2026-05-13 06:26:18
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- The logic is paradoxical but mathematically coherent: if both sides can survive a first strike and retaliate devastatingly, neither side gains from striking first - Eisenhower's "New Look" (1953): massive nuclear retaliation as cheaper alternative to maintaining large conventional armies in Europe - Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): 13 days that validated deterrence theory in practice — Khrushchev's withdrawal confirmed MAD's real-world logic held - The 1983 Able Archer war scare: NATO's realistic nuclear exercise so closely mimicked actual launch preparation that Soviet early-warning systems nearly triggered a real response - Why MAD is being challenged today: hypersonic glide vehicles with sub-5-minute strike times may eliminate the second-strike window that makes deterrence rational
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