Nuclear stalemate
The term nuclear stalemate was used to describe the strategic situation between the USA and the Soviet Union during the Cold War . The nuclear arsenal of both powers was so large that it was possible for them to destroy the earth several times. This condition has been called "nuclear overkill ".
It was impossible to successfully carry out a nuclear attack because both countries had extensive early warning systems (e.g. NORAD in the USA). The launch of land or sea-based missiles and bombers would have been spotted early enough to give the other side time to strike back . This would also have destroyed the attacking state. So in a nuclear war there could only be losers.
In order to make a nuclear exchange feasible , the opponents pursued large-scale programs to make it possible to intercept missiles. The Americans called the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) into being. The missiles were supposed to be destroyed by lasers and missiles. This required hundreds of satellites in space and dozens of ground control stations, which is why these initiatives were jokingly referred to as Star Wars . However, due to the enormous cost explosion and the easing of the East-West conflict at the end of the 1980s, the project was discontinued.
After the election of George W. Bush as American president in 2000, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld wanted to revive the program to build a missile shield to repel missiles from so-called rogue states. However, this idea was rejected again after September 11, 2001 .