A Bit on MAD

Mutually Assured Destruction was a principle created in the 1960s surrounding the tension around nuclear war. People who subscribed to the idea believed that only way to have assured stability is to have each side be confident they can deter the other if there was ever a nuclear attack. There has to be a balance and understanding that if one side attacks, the other can respond with equal power to cause severe damage.  This idea would prevent one side from being attacked by making sure that the attacker also fears their own annihilation. In this model there would be no point or benefit to a nuclear war. MAD, as it was acronymed, would reduce the power and advantage of a first strike greatly. Previously, it was agreed that the only way to win a nuclear war was to strike first, hard, and fast. This meant that the first strike would have to be so powerful it disabled the enemy from responding, it would have to wipe out all missiles and render the attacked completely wiped out. MAD threatened the effectiveness of such an attack, since both sides would have to be heavily armed and prepared to strike back. After the Cuban missile crisis the Soviet Union began hiding their missiles and continued to build up there weaponry. The U.S also participated in these strategies and both sides wanted to assure that in the case of a first attack, not all missiles would be taken out, giving them a way to respond. The MAD tactic clearly only works if both sides want to survive and are not willing to sacrifice themselves for the 'victory'. Another major part of MAD or the war readiness movement was the use of the submarine. The submarine in the 1960 was a useful weapon as it could survive under water and carried many missiles. If there was ever to be an attack on the country, there would be no way to locate all the submarines underwater and they could be used as retaliation. As a result of the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States many people thought of ways to prepare for a possible war, but they soon realized how futile any drill or preparation would be in such a devastating nuclear war. There was no reason to prepare as the damage would be too severe if you were close or at the site of the bomb dropping or anywhere near. You might survive the initial attack depending on proximity, but the radiation, environmental effects, and the disturbance to society might be what killed you regardless.