<P> Mutual assured destruction or mutually assured destruction ( MAD ) is a doctrine of military strategy and national security policy in which a full - scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender ( see pre-emptive nuclear strike and second strike ) . It is based on the theory of deterrence , which holds that the threat of using strong weapons against the enemy prevents the enemy 's use of those same weapons . The strategy is a form of Nash equilibrium in which , once armed , neither side has any incentive to initiate a conflict or to disarm . </P>
<P> Mutual assured destruction or mutually assured destruction ( MAD ) is a doctrine of military strategy and national security policy in which a full - scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender ( see pre-emptive nuclear strike and second strike ) . It is based on the theory of deterrence , which holds that the threat of using strong weapons against the enemy prevents the enemy 's use of those same weapons . The strategy is a form of Nash equilibrium in which , once armed , neither side has any incentive to initiate a conflict or to disarm . </P>
what does mad stand for in the cold war
what does mad stand for in the cold war
Mutual assured destruction mutually assured destruction
Mutual assured destruction mutually assured destruction