Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union following World War II, characterized by political hostility, propaganda campaigns, and military tensions but not direct warfare.
Deterrence Theory: The idea that an enemy would be deterred from using nuclear weapons as long as they can be destroyed as a consequence; it's like two people in a standoff both holding water balloons - neither wants to throw theirs because they'll get soaked too.
Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD): A doctrine of military strategy where a full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two opposing sides would effectively result in the destruction of both attacker and defender. It's like playing a game where if one player loses, everyone loses.