Definition of balance of terror
: a situation in which the threat of mutual annihilation by nations with the capability to wage nuclear war serves as a deterrent against military aggression and the use of nuclear weapons
Change, unfamiliarity, and the disconcerting potentialities of technology make balance of terror constantly precarious.— Henry T. Nash, Nuclear Weapons and International Behavior, 1975
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“Balance of terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balance%20of%20terror. Accessed 15 Aug. 2022.
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The first known use of balance of terror was in 1955
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