M.A.D., or Mutually Assured Destruction, is a military strategy that emerged during the Cold War. It is based on the idea that if two opposing sides possess enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other, neither side will initiate a conflict. The fear of total annihilation acts as a deterrent against nuclear war. This concept primarily involved the superpowers, particularly the United States and the Soviet Union. Both nations built extensive arsenals of nuclear weapons, ensuring that any attack would lead to devastating retaliation. M.A.D. has influenced international relations and arms control efforts since its inception.