Prompt Cast
Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD): Preventing Nuclear War during the Cold War
TLDR Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) was a strategic doctrine during the Cold War that prevented the US and USSR from launching nuclear attacks by ensuring that both sides would be destroyed. This doctrine was developed through the application of game theory and led to an uneasy truce between the two superpowers.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) is a Cold War strategic doctrine that involved the threat of nuclear war and the understanding that if it happened, everyone on the planet would die.
04:00
During the Cold War, there were several tense moments, such as the Cuba Missile Crisis and a false alarm in 1980, where the US and the USSR came close to nuclear war.
07:48
During the Cold War, both the US and the USSR had incidents where they had to make a decision in a matter of minutes on whether or not to launch a nuclear attack, but the doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction prevented either side from doing so.
11:18
During the Cold War, game theorist Thomas Schelling convinced President Eisenhower that nuclear weapons should be viewed only as deterrents, not as just another type of weapon, which led to the doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction.
14:33
During the Cold War, the US and USSR engaged in a détente, an uneasy truce where they constantly monitored each other's weapons capabilities, and the concept of Mutual Assured Destruction was developed through the application of game theory to nuclear strategy.
18:01
During the Cold War, both the US and USSR had nuclear warheads in various locations around the world, and the concept of the ladder of escalation was developed, where a first strike would be met with a counter-strike and increasing levels of strikes, until one side decided to stop and prevent total annihilation.
21:25
During the Cold War, both the US and USSR knew what the next step of escalation would be in the event of a nuclear strike, and luckily, this ladder of escalation was never put into action.
24:41
During the Cold War, both the US and USSR knew what the next step of escalation would be in the event of a nuclear strike, and luckily, this ladder of escalation was never put into action.
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