Mutually Assured Destruction (or MAD) was one of the primary Cold War strategies of the United States and Soviet Union. The basic premise was:
- Both sides had the capacity to destroy the other completely
- Both sides ultimately wished to survive
- Neither side could preemptively strike the other without assured and complete retaliation
- Therefore, neither side would initiate nuclear war
MAD was both reviled and praised during the Cold War. Game theorists spent much time debating various changes in policy and their effect on MAD.
Stability vs. Instability
Alterations in the basic premeses of MAD had the potential to destabilize the balance between the US and USSR, possibly igniting nuclear conflict. Therefore, much time and energy went into debating even small changes in policy.