How did mutual deterrence shape Cold War arms-control treaties?

Mutual deterrence, often defined by the doctrine of mutual assured destruction (MAD), was the foundational logic that shaped Cold War arms-control efforts. This strategy relied on the premise that both the United States and the Soviet Union possessed a secure second-strike capability, ensuring that any initial attack would result in unacceptable retaliatory damage to the aggressor.12

This strategic standoff influenced treaties in several key ways:

• Prioritizing Offense over Defense: Because mutual vulnerability was seen as the guarantor of stability, treaties aimed to prevent either side from gaining a defensive advantage. The Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty (1972) explicitly limited defensive systems, confirming the primacy of offensive forces and ensuring that both nations remained vulnerable to retaliation.134
• Establishing Parity: Negotiations like the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) were guided by the concept of parity, seeking to confirm a broad equality in destructive power to prevent either side from feeling compelled to launch a preemptive strike.14
• Managing Technological Escalation: As technology advanced, treaties attempted to restrain the arms race. Agreements such as the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (1963) and the Outer Space Treaty (1967) limited testing and deployment environments, while SALT II sought to cap the number of MIRVs to prevent destabilizing quantitative advantages.34

Ultimately, while these treaties stabilized the nuclear competition, they often did so at high force levels, as the underlying goal remained the maintenance of a stable, albeit terrifying, strategic equilibrium.34