Weapons prevent people from trampling all over you. Nuclear weapons follow the same principle; they stop countries from destroying each other. If the United States or the Soviet Union had the audacity to use their arsenal of nuclear weapons against each other, the world would be devastated and both sides would probably sustain massive casualties. With this knowledge in hand, it was in their mutual interests not to fire there nuclear weapons against each other. This is idea is called brinkmanship meaning the apparent willingness to use nuclear weapons resulted in neither side using them.

The video demonstrated the first hydrogen bomb. This sheer destructive power protected the freedom of American people. Its dire consequences were known to the Soviets and allowed Americans to live life without fear of a communist take over because if the Soviets did try anything, but sides would be wiped out. The graph shows how the United States knew that stockpiling nuclear warheads was the only key defense to the freedom of the American people.