Why did the cold war never develop into a direct military conflict between the united states and the soviet union

USSR and USA both knew that if they would engage in a full scale nuclear war, it would simply lead to annihilation of human life.

Such an event was termed as “MAD” or “Mutually Assured Destruction”

Both USSR & USA didn’t want this catastrophe to happen. So they didn’t allow it to turn it into a ‘hot war.’

But both superpowers participated in proxy wars like in Vietnam, Korea & Afghanistan to prove their might. In these wars they were not engaged directly but were helping local rebels or the ruling body with weapons and technical assistance.

The Vietnam & the Korean wars were won by the USSR backed side. While USA backed mujahedin fighters managed to win over Soviet backed Afghan government in Afghanistan.

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i am sure the answer is d