The bipolar Cold War made deterrence comparatively simple. The leading powers in each bloc could influence smaller powers, while every dispute carried the possibility of escalation. A crisis that escaped control could end in a general nuclear exchange and, in the terms used here, destroy the planet. That risk gave both blocs a shared reason to contain confrontations. The period was unusual in the longer history of international relations, so its deterrence assumptions do not transfer neatly to a multipolar world.
Chapter · 6:24-7:55
Why bipolar deterrence looked comparatively simple
The Cold War's two-bloc structure made conflict management easier to read because both sides knew that escalation might end in a general nuclear exchange.