The Cold War and MAD

Study Notes

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

Refers to a doctrine of military strategy in which a full-scale use of nuclear weapons would cause catastrophic consequences for both the attacker and the defender

The Cold War

Tensions increased during the 1960s due to the escalating arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union

Soviet Hesitation on Arms Control

The Soviets were hesitant about real arms control due to their mistrust of the United States and fear of being at a disadvantage in terms of nuclear capabilities

The U-2 Spy Plane Incident

On July 1, 1960, an American U-2 spy plane took off from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey
The plane was shot down over the Soviet Union, causing a major diplomatic incident and increasing tensions between the two superpowers

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) and the Cold War

The concept of MAD played a key role in the Cold War, as both sides recognized the devastating consequences of a nuclear war and thus sought to avoid it
The doctrine of MAD led to a state of nuclear deterrence, in which both sides were deterred from launching a nuclear attack due to the fear of mutually assured destruction

Description

Test your knowledge of the Cold War and the concept of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) with this quiz. Explore how tensions escalated during the 1960s and the role music played in the era. Challenge yourself to understand the foundations of deterrence and the global implications of this doctrine.