Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.)

Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.) was a nuclear defense strategy used by the US during the Cold War which theorizes that "if the Soviet Union and the United States have their urban population at risk, then neither will attempt a first strike."

I first came across this term when I overhead heard my supervisor talking to someone about this kind of strategy with their opponents. Didn't understand it then but got a clue on what it was because he talked about the cold war. Just now, I was reading a Reader's Digest (December 1982 issue) and got some sort of explanation on how this strategy would have been used.

Based on that brief reading, I found out that the effects on this on you and your opponents would not be "mutually assured" because you have different capabilities and terrain. Both of the parties may get some damage but the winner cannot be assured. I think whenever, this strategy would be used, it should be as a last resort.