Characters
Deterrence is the art of producing, in the mind of the enemy, the fear to attack!
— Dr. Strangelove · Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The definition places the effect of deterrence inside an opponent’s mind. Its aim is to prevent an attack by making that action frightening to contemplate. Calling it an art shifts attention toward producing a particular expectation, rather than describing an actual battle.
Context reviewed