Cold War deterrence and fewer direct wars

How might the post-1945 world differ without a Cold War?

There might be more direct wars because the threat of mutual assured destruction restrained disputes between the largest powers.

A world without the Cold War could experience more wars after 1945. The reasoning centres on mutual assured destruction. When escalation threatens catastrophic loss for both sides, even hostile powers have a strong incentive to control their disputes. Without that shared danger, more confrontations could cross the threshold into direct war. Nuclear deterrence appears here as destructive power that also constrained great-power behaviour.