Which of the following best describes the idea of mutually assured destruction?

Neither superpower would start a nuclear war because they had both entered into a mutual agreement not to.

Both superpowers would be assured of eventual destruction because of the stockpile of nuclear weapons.

Neither superpower would start a nuclear war because the other side could respond in an equally destructive manner.

Both superpowers would eventually go to war without regard for the inevitability of their own assured destruction.

The correct option is C

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) is a military doctrine that is based on the principle that if a country with nuclear capability attacks another country with nuclear weapons, the final result will be nuclear annihilation for both nations.

Neither superpower would start a nuclear war because the other side could respond in an equally destructive manner.

Explanation:

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is a doctrine of security policy and international politics that provides a reason why powerful countries might not want to engage in the use of nuclear weapons. The doctrine states that the use of nuclear weapons by one side of a war would mean the complete annihilation of both sides. This means that, when two countries are armed with nuclear weapons, neither side has an incentive to initiate a conflict.