Mutual assured destruction facts for kids

Mutual assured destruction (MAD) is a special military idea. It means that two powerful countries or groups could completely destroy each other if they ever started a war. This idea was created to help stop a nuclear war.

It usually happens when both sides have many nuclear weapons. Imagine if one country attacked another with nuclear bombs. The country that was attacked would still be able to attack back. This means the first attacker would also be destroyed.

The main idea is simple: no country would start a fight if it knew that attacking its enemy would also mean its own destruction. This makes both sides too scared to attack first.

The idea of MAD was talked about by a thinker named Herman Kahn. It was also a big part of the famous movie Dr. Strangelove.

What is Mutual Assured Destruction?

Mutual Assured Destruction, or MAD, is a military plan. It says that if two countries both have enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other, they will never attack. Why? Because attacking would mean they get destroyed too. It's like a very dangerous standoff.

This idea makes both sides afraid to start a war. They know that if they launch their nuclear weapons, the other side will launch theirs. Then, everyone loses. This fear is supposed to keep the peace.

How Does MAD Work?

For MAD to work, each side must have a "second-strike capability." This means they must be able to hit back even after being attacked first. For example, a country might keep some nuclear missiles hidden in submarines deep underwater. These submarines could survive a first attack and then launch their own missiles.

If both sides know the other can strike back, it makes a first attack pointless. No country wants to be destroyed, even if it means destroying its enemy. This creates a kind of scary balance.

Why Was MAD Important?

MAD became very important during the Cold War. This was a long period after World War II when the United States and the Soviet Union (now Russia) were enemies. Both countries built huge numbers of nuclear weapons. People were very worried about a nuclear war.

The idea of MAD helped prevent a direct war between these two superpowers. Even though they were rivals, neither side dared to attack. They knew it would lead to their own destruction. It was a time of great tension, but also a time when this scary idea kept the peace.

Images for kids

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  Aftermath of the atomic bomb explosion over Hiroshima, August 6, 1945

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  Atomic bomb explosions over Hiroshima, Japan, 6 August 1945 (left) and over Nagasaki, Japan, 9 August 1945 (right).

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  Robert McNamara

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  The USS George Washington (SSBN-598), the lead ship of the US Navy's first class of Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines, Nuclear (SSBN)

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  A time exposure of seven MIRVs from Peacekeeper missile passing through clouds

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  A payload launch vehicle carrying a prototype exoatmospheric kill vehicle is launched from Meck Island at the Kwajalein Missile Range on December 3, 2001, for an intercept of a ballistic missile target over the central Pacific Ocean.

See also

In Spanish: Destrucción mutua asegurada para niños