Both the Western Bloc and Eastern Bloc developed nuclear weapons based on the principle of mutually assured destruction to deter the other side from attacking.
Notes on verification
Multiple authoritative sources including Britannica and academic institutions confirm MAD doctrine and nuclear arsenals of both superpowers. Specific warhead numbers and timeline align across sources. This is well-documented historical consensus.
Sources
- Outline of the Cold War (wikipedia)
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/mutual-assured-destruction (corroboration)
- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-fmcc-worldcivilization2-1/chapter/competition-between-east-and-west/ (corroboration)
- https://www.technology.org/how-and-why/mutual-assured-destruction-nuclear-strategy/ (corroboration)
- https://www.cvce.eu/en/collections/unit-content/-/unit/56d70f17-5054-49fc-bb9b-5d90735167d0/8c0c9b1c-a623-4169-80cc-836d868566e8 (corroboration)