operation ▁while ▁simultaneously ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁the ▁other ▁side ▁would ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁conc ili atory ▁gest ures . ▁ ▁In ▁conflict ▁The ▁pre val ence ▁of ▁per cept ual ▁d ile mm as ▁in ▁conflict ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁two ▁distinct ▁schools ▁of ▁thought ▁on ▁the ▁subject . ▁According ▁to ▁d eter rence ▁theory , ▁the ▁best ▁strategy ▁to ▁take ▁in ▁conflict ▁is ▁to ▁show ▁signs ▁of ▁strength ▁and ▁willing ness ▁to ▁use ▁force ▁if ▁necessary . ▁This ▁approach ▁is ▁intended ▁to ▁dis su ade ▁attacks ▁before ▁they ▁happen . ▁Con vers ely , ▁the ▁conflict ▁spir al ▁view ▁holds ▁that ▁d eter rence ▁strateg ies ▁increase ▁host ilities ▁and ▁def ens iveness ▁and ▁that ▁a ▁clear ▁demonstr ation ▁of ▁peace ful ▁intent ions ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁effective ▁way ▁to ▁avoid ▁es cal ation . ▁ ▁An ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁d eter rence ▁theory ▁in ▁practice ▁is ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁strategy ▁( emp loy ed ▁by ▁both ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ) ▁of ▁mut ually ▁assured ▁destruction ▁( MA D ). ▁Because ▁both ▁countries ▁had ▁second ▁strike ▁cap ability , ▁each ▁side ▁knew ▁that ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁would ▁result ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁destruction . ▁While ▁controvers ial , ▁M AD ▁succeeded ▁in ▁its ▁primary ▁purpose ▁of ▁prevent ing ▁nuclear ▁war ▁and ▁kept ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁cold . ▁ ▁Conc ili atory ▁gest ures ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁great ▁effect , ▁in ▁keeping ▁with ▁conflict ▁spir al ▁theory . ▁For ▁example , ▁Egypt ian ▁President