What term describes the balance of power strategy during the Cold War, particularly in relation to nuclear arms?

The term that best describes the balance of power strategy during the Cold War, particularly with regard to nuclear arms, is Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). This doctrine posits that both the United States and the Soviet Union had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other completely. As a result, the prospect of total annihilation served as a deterrent against the actual use of nuclear weapons; neither side would initiate a conflict knowing it could lead to catastrophic consequences for both.

MAD effectively shaped military and foreign policies during the Cold War, as it encouraged a tense but stable environment where each side maintained a significant arsenal of nuclear weapons to deter the other from engaging in nuclear warfare. The assurance that any nuclear attack would result in a retaliatory strike ensured that while the threat of war was ever-present, actual conflict remained largely limited to non-nuclear engagements.

While other terms like Deterrence Theory and Nuclear Deterrence relate to the concept of preventing aggression through the threat of retaliation, they don't encompass the full scope of the principle inherent in MAD. Therefore, Mutual Assured Destruction is the most precise term in this historical context, encapsulating the strategic rationale and the intertwined, precarious nature of nuclear capabilities during the Cold War.