Question

Match each Cold War term with its definition.

1) Mutually Assured Destruction
2) Brinkmanship
3) Leaders were willing to threaten nuclear war rather than back down in a confrontation.
4) Both sides knew that they would be wiped out in a nuclear war.

Answer 1

Option (1, 2), In the Cold War context, 'Mutually Assured Destruction' refers to the deterrence theory that no nuclear power would start a war knowing it would lead to mutual annihilation, while 'Brinkmanship' is the policy of threatening to go to war to maintain peace.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Cold War was characterized by several doctrines and strategies as the United States and the Soviet Union vied for global dominance without direct military confrontation. Among these were the concepts of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) and brinkmanship.

Mutually Assured Destruction is defined as a theory of nuclear deterrence suggesting that no nuclear power would launch an attack on another nuclear power, owing to the inevitable consequence—a complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender. This deterrent strategy was based on the possession and threat of use of nuclear weapons capable of ensuring mutually assured destruction in the event of a nuclear war, making the cost of conflict unacceptably high for both sides.

Brinkmanship was a Cold War policy where leaders demonstrated a willingness to push a situation to the verge of war, asserting that one must be prepared to go to the extent of nuclear war in order to maintain peace. This approach relied on the belief that showing a readiness to initiate a nuclear conflict would force the other side to back down in a confrontation due to the fear of mutual destruction.

Accordingly, the terms can be matched with their definitions as follows:

1. Mutually Assured Destruction - Both sides knew that they would be wiped out in a nuclear war.
2. Brinkmanship - Leaders were willing to threaten nuclear war rather than back down in a confrontation.