What role did the Atomic Bomb play in the Cold War?

Question

What role did the Atomic Bomb play in the Cold War?

Answer

The reason that the cold war never went hot, in other words all out fighting between Russia and the West was because both sides had loads of nuclear weapons of all kinds pointed at each other.brbrThis was known as quotmutually assured destructionquot.brbrIn other words if one side started something they could destroy the other but would be destroyed themselves.brbrIf either side had not had the atom bomb then a third world war would have most probably broken out in the s or s.brbrPerversely therefore nuclear weapons probably stopped a war from happening, and saved millions of lives.brbrWhere it is dangerous is when atom bombs are in the hands of regimes who do not care if they are destroyed themselves terrorists etc.